The Essex Green’s sound is steeped in the familiar folk-pop of the sixties, with The Mamas and the Papas being an obvious touchstone. Their third long player, Cannibal Sea, is forty minutes of meticulously crafted, mellow pop sunshine. There’s not much that’ll get your blood pumping but it’s a pleasant listening experience. It works great as background music but also rewards the careful observer with the rich details found in the arrangements and instrumentation. As with “Mrs. Bean” on their first album, Everything Is Green, there’s one song that absolutely floors me. “Don’t Know Why (You Stay)” is a mixtape worthy, hit single in a parallel universe number whose rising falsetto chorus will rattle around in your brain for days. Sadly it’s not one of the ones included, but you can listen to three other tracks from the album at the Essex Green Myspace page.