About the Album

The Sunshine Seminar (2015) so far stands as the definitive REC album.The songs perfectly balance the mostly power pop of Parts and Labour with the mostly electro of Distance To Empty.

Thematically, The Sunshine Seminar continues what Distance To Empty started: breakup songs (tracks 1, 2, 3, 9) mixed with songs of hope (tracks 4 & 8). Added to that are songs that ask how we’re supposed to relate to the world (tracks 5-7, 10). And it’s all capped off with a “retro cassette” post punk track about fighting to embrace uncertainty – very related to ideas explored in the Parts and Labour song, “Fall”.

Highlights are “Different People”, “Any Universe”, the mostly instrumental “Sunburn”, and the epic “MeYou & Everyone”. “Ripe” was dedicated to my daughter – about the discomfort of growing up while still holding onto the comforting parts of childhood.

FUN FACTS:

*The album name alludes to finding a way to learn how to be happy. (My lyrics are often premonitions/predictions of things that don’t come to fruition until months or years later.)

*The cover photo is of downtown Manhattan (see the Empire StateBuilding?) fromWest 145thSt.

*If you look very closely, you’ll see MY FACE somewhere in the cover too.