Penguin Cafe ~ Rain Before Seven

In June, we listed “In Re Budd,” the first single off of Rain Before Seven, in our article Ten Tracks that Sound Like Summer. When Penguin Cafe released the full album, it became clear that the early July release was intentionally timed– in fact, “Ten Tracks that Sound Like Summer” would make a fitting alternative title to the record. As the cover art portends, each track is bright and rhythmic. The instrumentation is playful and upbeat, evoking the attitude of a child off school for summer. Wooden mallets seem to dance upon rainbow xylophone keys in “Welcome to London,” the album’s opener, and one senses the ebullience of a rare sunny day in a bustling but typically dreary city. The weather motif carries through to the following track; “Shelter” is warm and enveloping, a comforting respite from some subtly acknowledged outside disturbance.

The term “Rain Before Seven” is the first half of the antiquated British saying, “Rain before seven, fine by eleven,” which refers to the alleged tendency for overnight rain to give way to clear weather during the day. Does this notion really hold up to meteorology? Penguin Cafe urges us not to dwell on the data. “In Re Budd’s” title pays homage to the late composer Harold Budds, yet this track embodies the height of the album’s irrepressible optimism. The accompanying music video features band members in penguin costumes playing the jaunty, tropical melody with marimba, maracas, and strings. The track acknowledges death and loss, but only insofar as to highlight why its celebration of life is so sweet. In this vein, “Galahad”– with its swelling strings above strong, steady percussion which beats like a healthy heart– pays tribute to band leader Arthur Jeffes’s pet dog who passed away. “Might Be Something” swells with hope while also seeming to recognize that…it might be nothing. “No One Really Leaves” brings solace to the lonely, and “Find Your Feet,” laced with melancholy, is a dance track for those who have lost their footing.

It’s impossible to ignore Rain Before Seven’s allusions to climate change, since the album so deliberately draws attention to weather patterns (and penguins don’t belong among palm leaves last time we checked). But this album is not a wakeup call nor a call to action. It is simply a joyous celebration of the good things in life, and a reminder that one can accept positivity while also acknowledging loss. So, though Rain Before Seven may be best suited for summer, its value doesn’t end there. Like glowing fireworks against a pitch black sky, this record is a beacon of light as the cold darkness of autumn rolls in. (Maya Merberg)