Sean Bones: Rings

Sean Bones
Rings
(Frenchkiss Records)

Remember when ska was cool? Sure, it’s been a while, but Sean Bones dares you to give it another go; call it indie reggae redux. The cool, breezy sound that moves through Rings, Bones’ debut album, evokes memories of long drives, beach days, spring picnics, and pretty much any pleasant thought one can conjure up.

Bones (whose real last name is Sullivan) strums and sings effortlessly, reflecting the incidental manner in which Rings was born. While whipping up a few reggae tunes to help promote his girlfriend’s line of swimsuits, he garnered enough interest to produce a full-length album.

The album saunters fluidly from track to track, easing in with the head-bobbing “Cry Cry Cry” and reaching a pleasantly poppy apex with “Sugar in My Spoon.” The album winds down with “Turn Them,” a sweet duet with Norah Jones, who also co-starred with Bones in the 2009 indie flick Wha Do Dem, though the film didn’t feature any of his tunes.

With a successful album and even acting credit under his belt, it’s hard to tell what will come next from Bones.  But I know that whatever it is, it’s sure to be good. Bottom line on Rings: crank this album whether you’re looking to pep up, mellow out, or just discreetly re-live your Chuck Taylor–wearing, skanking days of yore.