Track listing: Bahama Bound, Life Is Good (Beach Life Is Better), Watching The Waves, Back To The Sun, Picture Perfect, Where There's A Will, There's A Wave, Lighthouse, Endless Summer, Let's Get Lost, Cruise Ship Crazy

Well if this ain't one of the cutest records I've heard in ages... Cary Aria left his home just outside Minneapolis, Minnesota and headed toward paradise, which he's found in the cabins, decks and music showrooms of oceanbound cruise ships around the world for more than a decade. Now, stepping beyond playing shows to buffet-loving vacationers, Aria put his mind to recording his full-length LP entitled Seaduction.

The album's 10 tracks hit ya heavy with seafaring puns, references, and instrumentation--a mention of Gilligan's Island here, a reggae beat there, and plenty of timbales and steel drums strewn throughout for good measure. I'd like to think that Jimmy Buffett is looking down on Cary, thinkin' "Nicely played, kid."

Parts of the record were actually recorded in Aria's own cabins on board various ships! But terrestrial studios did also come into play, including TuneDesigner in Georgia, Cloverleaf in Minnesota, and Heiga & Magnolia Studios in Florida. Joining Cary on the record are John Johnson (keys), Daniel Addison (guitars/bass), George Sandler (drums) and Rhett Johnson providing some icing on the cake, with Hazel Sim singing on "Lighthouse."

Sonically, Seaduction is a lush, vibrant album. The sound--I'm still trying to place it--blends a bit of Buffett's lightheartedness with some Nashville flair. Aria's voice twangs just a bit and, along with the crystalline production, comes off not entirely unlike that of Rascal Flatts or similar New Country/Western artists. The musicianship is flawless and tasteful, wrapping the sunshine-y lyrics in a cool frozen fruity libation of sound.

Released in tandem with Seaduction is the lyric video for "Bahama Bound." One YouTuber says it "puts me in the mind of Zak Brown," which is a fair take. Seaduction is fun but not frivolous, relaxed yet not sloppy. It's just that right amount of planning and preparation you need for a vacation to be truly stress free. So raise your glass (or pineapple with an umbrella in it) to Cary Aria's love letter to the sea, the sun, and the pursuit of vacation-mode fun.