Photo: Laura Moreau

Pearl & the Oysters take us to the Florida beach on the beatific “Treasure Island”, announce new album

Playful French-American pair Pearl & The Oysters have announced they’ll release their third album Flowerland on September 3 through Feeltrip Records (in North America) and Tip Top Recordings (rest of the world). It’s sure to be another fun-filled frolic, as evidenced by today’s new single “Treasure Island”, about which they say:

“Treasure Island is the name of a beloved beach town on the Gulf Coast of Florida… The TI beachfront is home to a number of pretty iconic 1950s roadside architectural landmarks, like the Thunderbird Resort’s oversize neon sign, which we reference in the opening line of the song. It’s not a hidden-getaway type of spot but to us that beach always radiated a kind of magical healing energy. This song—whose basic rhythm track was composed and recorded in a 10-minute span at Rockaway studio in December 2018—was our humble attempt at bottling Treasure Island’s atmosphere, in musical form. Featuring “the funkiest drum machine ever,” according to Shags.”

As someone who has been to Treasure Island several times, I can safely say that Pearl & the Oysters’ song succinctly captures the place’s colourful escapism and strange anachronistic-ness. The duo implement a cool click and rhythm guitar that acts as the coastal breeze, immediately making you relax into the song like you’re collapsing into a sun lounger by the water, calypso music playing faintly in the background. Atop this, they let their cares float away and simply let themselves feel good, free, and lightweight – living in a world that’s disconnected from reality, where nothing seems to matter. With their musical magic, incorporating plenty of cartoonish sounds and characterful imagery, Pearl & the Oysters transport us right to that carefree coast on “Treasure Island”.

Listen to “Treasure Island” below or on your preferred platform.

Pearl & The Oysters’ new album Flowerland is out on September 3 via Feeltrip / Tip Top Recordings. You can find the band on Facebook and Instagram.