Tree With Lights has written and recorded a Christmas song of sorts called Magic Men. It's a little modal folkish ditty about an evil king...or at least willfully ignorant and a tad bit arrogant.

Just in case you thought no one had taken notice of that fine group of people known as The Southern Sea below are a few kind words some people have said about the new record.

SIDE ONE: TRACK ONE

In a veritable sea of indie-rock bands vying for a table scraps from online press with gimmicky nonsense that’s as short-lived as a blog post, it can be difficult to produce material that takes advantage of modern music but remains true to the craft of songwriting. And to gain attention for that hard work can be near impossible. Nonetheless, bands like Southern Sea, whose debut album (the follow-up to an EP) is the work of years of intense writing, recording and producing, push forward with smart genuine tunes that buck the trend of pop music towards fleeting bullshit.

Much likeAustin’s Lovely Sparrows, The Southern Sea use a breathtaking variety of instruments and styles to create dense crafty songs that truly deserve the label of "Fine Art," both for its immediate likeability and the obvious commitment to practiced songwriting that conceived these songs in the first place. Like a good novel, each song allows its roots to naturally sprawl into lifelike backdrops but recoils into tight climactic melodies before things begin to fall apart. Lyrical themes capture both natural and domestic (and on-stage) anxiety, at times as expertly as the musical arrangements but sometimes appear too prosy than the band’s artistic style warrants. Ultimately, it’s difficult to definitively describe what the band have managed to create without either analyzing the parts, or grouping it into the tiresome "indie" genre, so I would implore you to click play below and draw your own conclusions.

PNEUMATIC TIRE

When a disc begins with banjo picking over predominantly acoustic instrumentation, my interest is piqued. The Southern Sea delicately handcrafts their music with nuance in mind. Somewhat of a mix of Mercury Rev, Sufjan Stevens, and Death Cab For Cutie, these guys play this soft hybrid of looping, Midwest acoustic/electric with a carefree spirit. Toes are bound to be tapping when you take this for a spin on a country drive.

The entire thing is seamless and fluid. Strong tracks include “These Things Always End Badly”, “Quarks Passing Through A Hypochondriac”, “Trucks Are Roller-Skates”, and “I Bought A Used Camera From A Website”. I am extremely impressed with the quality of this disc, the mixing done by T.W. Walsh (Pedro The Lion). Lazy afternoons have never felt so good.

BEST OF TEXAS BLOG

If there is one band in this entire list that needs to be playing to packed houses, it’s The Southern Sea. If you live in the DFW area and are familiar with the local scene, imagine if Voot Cha Index had bothered to have the maturity to get along, add a touch of Bridges and Blinking Lights and Pilotdrift and you’ve got The Southern Sea. Otherwise, think the youthfulness of the Decemberists, the whimsy and artistry of Ladybug Transistor, a touch of Flotation Toy Warning, the dreaminess of Math & Physics Club and add a dash of Kermit the Frog banjo goodness and you have a band that should be making a lot of other Metroplex bands very, very nervous.

BONA FIDE DARLING

A friend of mine introduced me to The Southern Sea a couple of months ago and I was instantly smitten. They have a sound that reminds me of folk versions of either A) The Flaming Lips or B) The Uglysuit. So basically, if Wayne put down the crazy home made double neck guitar and picked up a banjo you would almost have the sound of The Southern Sea.

Their awesomely titled Theoretically, yes. Honestly, no. is out now and I highly suggest you pick it up.

STOP SLEEPING, YO.

The Southern Sea from... you guessed it, the South. Particularly Texas. I'm really glad I stumbled upon them. They sound like a folk version of Death Cab. If Death Cab just stuck to what they were doing before Narrow Stairs, it would've been golden. Anyway, the Southern Sea is chill out indie rock.

You should listen to all the songs on their page. Omnichords, banjos, xylophones, synths, theremins, organs, weird bells and every other instrument. It's good.

DALLAS OBSERVER

In a sly turn of self-deprecation, Greenville's The Southern Sea launches its first full-length with a track called "These Things Always End Badly," which lyrically bemoans the faulty set-ups of a local stage while the band admits that, as the crowd wants punk rock, "We play quietly/Our set's too short and we lack energy/No lead guitar, no jumping or Flying V's." There's a subtle humor to the song, though, given the optimistically lush sonic soundscape its deft instrumentation and arrangement paints. And this duality—subtly optimistic takes on somber themes—is actually the common thread that strings this delightful indie-pop disc together.

Honestly, No. isn't without flaws, though: The Southern Sea relies a littletooheavily on a combination of Modest Mouse's Good News for People Who Love Bad News and Death Cab For Cutie's Transatlanticism—two great records, yes, but two records whose directions have been followed to death just a few years after their release. Still, unlike so many others before it, The Southern Sea is able to capably blend these influences into a somewhat unique, off-kilter patchwork.

There are two sides to this fence: Fans of the genre will predictably champion this effort; detractors of it will no doubt naysay its too-obvious direction. But this much should be inarguable: On its first full-length release, Greenville's best-kept secret firmly establishes itself, quite capably, among the premiere indie-pop outfits in the region.

DALLAS OBSERVER

In this week's print edition of theObserver (at some newsstands already, but on your internet now), you'll find a review of The Southern Sea's Theoretically, Yes. Honestly, No. in our Home Grown CD Review section, which, really, despite the thoughts of one quick-to-comment reader, is meant as quite the positive review.

The fact that there are some obvious sonic connections to be made between the Great Northwest's Death Cab/Modest Mouse sounds of a few years back and this debut full-length from the Greenville quintet isn't necessarily a damning thing; in fact, I even go so far as to say in the review that, "The Southern Sea is able to capably blend these influences into a somewhat unique, off-kilter patchwork." But, even beyond that, I also say this:

There are two sides to this fence: Fans of the genre will predictably champion this effort; detractors of it will no doubt naysay its too-obvious direction. But this much should be inarguable: On its first full-length release, Greenville's best-kept secret firmly establishes itself, quite capably, among the premiere indie-pop outfits in the region.

Plus, I'd say I'm a fan of this genre. (Yeah, so I liked The O.C.Sue me.)

BABYSUE® LMNOP

In 2005 the folks in The Southern Sea released their debut disc...an EP titledSimple Machines for Complex Problems. The EP was well-received. Since that time, the band obviously took their time writing songs and recording this, their debut full-length album. It was worth the wait.Theoretically, Yes. Honestly, No.is an extremely intricate and well-crafted album full of wonderfully cool modern progressive pop tunes. The best frame of reference would probably be to compare these songs to The Flaming Lips. But unlike other bands whose music fits in such a category, the folks in this banddo notsound like copycats. The smooth, smart tunes on this album rely heavily on studio technology...but the vocal melodies are never buried underneath too many messy layers of crap. These songs are not predictable and yet...they are extremely easy on the ears (and mind). Smooth and just slightly different...Theoretically, Yes. Honestly, No.hits the bull's eye dead on. Cool tracks include "These Things Always End Badly," "Quarks Chasing a Hypochondriac," and "I Bought A Used Camera From a Website" (gotta love them song titles). A super nice album from start to finish...really nice warm sound quality courtesy of producer T. W. Walsh.

Recommended. (Rating: 5++)

The Old House Records 2007 Sampler is now available to purchase on Itunes. So, go download the record and then write a review. Just search for Old House Records or by the individual artist name.