Be My Friend

Moorea Seal says she chose her own first name at age of 9 because she wanted one that was unique. Like a French Polynesian island next to Tahiti. That’s perfect: There may be no better music to listen to while lazing on a sunny tropical beach, letting your toes sift through the warm sand. Or, perhaps even better, when just sitting in your backyard enjoying a long summer afternoon. Seal makes melodic indie folk-pop, and sings her wistful lyrics with a pretty note of longing in her voice. One detects the influence of Joni Mitchell, the Beatles and even Joanna Newsom—the latter most fitting, as she, like Seal, hails from Nevada City. But this delightful singer-songwriter has a deft musical touch of her own; her songs stick in your head as surely as that island sand sticks to your feet.