The Elected
Bury Me in My Rings
(Vagrant Records)

Let’s get this out of the way: many of us may have fond memories of Blake Sennett from the shows “Salute Your Shorts” or “Boy Meets World.” We may also hold out hope that Rilo Kiley might reunite and release something spectacular. However, do not write off The Elected.

Taking the best influences of the West Coast, from sun-drenched folk to borderline surfer rock, the group’s third LP has a vintage sound that seems aged to perfection. This is a score for nostalgia, delicate and memorable.

“Look at Me Now” has a guitar riff reminiscent of Modest Mouse’s “Float On,” though the overall effect is dreamy rather than haunting. “Go for the Throat” has a perfect radio sound, with an easy pace and lines that can easily be shouted with the windows down. The vocal distortion on “When I’m Gone” sounds like what Steve Miller could have accomplished if he’d been a bit more modest with effects.

As opposed to other records by The Elected, most of this is written and played by Sennett himself. He proves himself a gifted multi-instrumentalist who can keep his eye on the bigger picture of making each song its own puzzle piece to fit into an album. He also produced the album, but it’s far from an exercise in vanity. Bury Me in My Rings is delicate and enchanting, sure to be the soundtrack of many summers.