Canada's Seaway have long hinted at influences far beyond the confines of the propulsive pop-punk that made albums like 2013's Hoser, 2015's Colour Blind, and 2015's Vacation so compelling. Centered on the dual lead vocals (and often bright harmonies) of singers Ryan Locke and Patrick Carleton, the band make music that straddles the line between classic guitar pop and throaty hardcore. With 2019's Fresh Produce, Seaway bring yet more of these broad influences to the fore with a set of B-sides, covers, and songs reworked from their own catalog. Front-loaded on the set are two newly minted singles, "Pleasures" and "Blur," both of which evoke the group's long-standing knack for crafting hooky anthems that sound like lost Weezer hits. Elsewhere, they've re-recorded a handful of their best-loved songs, including an acoustic take on "Something Wonderful" and an extensive reconstruction of "40 Over" that replaces the abrasive guitars with bubbly synths. Similarly, there's bright acoustic rendition of "Lula on the Beach" off Vacation that brings out even more of the song's lyrical, '60s California pop-meets-'90s alt-rock vibe. Equally effective are three mixtape-perfect covers songs here, including an inspired reading of Alanis Morissette's "Hand in My Pocket," and a reverent but still effusively delivered performance of the Cars' classic "Just What I Needed." Surprisingly impressive is their version of Halsey and the Chainsmokers' "Closer," which finds them embracing an even more contemporary-sounding production style that's far afield of punk. Rounding out the album are the four tracks that made up the band's 2014 EP All in My Head: "Your Best Friend," "Alberta," "The Let Down," and "If I Came Back to You." Without losing their identity, Seaway's Fresh Produce feels like a punk band with stylistically broad ambitions having fun with seeing how far they can push their sound. ~ Matt Collar|

Rovi