LAKE

Hailing from Olympia, Washington, LAKE has a refreshingly un-ironic and musically solid take on mixing together indie pop with R&B for a sound that is essentially blue-eyed soul. The delicate harmonies and infectious melodies present in most of the band's material are reminiscent of popular songs of the '70s, without the bombast or ersatz excitement. With Karl Blau as a collaborator, LAKE's songwriting is also infused with a touch of hip-hop in the vocal phrasings and the rhythms. There is a disarming wholesomeness and purity to the act's music that sounds like you're hearing a group of session musicians playing catchy music they love instead of the songs they're paid to perform.