So a few Rilo Kiley band members formed an offshoot band called The Elected and recorded a couple of albums. This latest one is a sweet, bright, poppy affair. A slice of down-home Californian sunshine, if you will.

The album starts with peaceful birds chirping, angelic harmonies and a golden dripping orchestra which sound like the very gates of heaven opening. 44 seconds of nice songwriting and introductory banjo plucking and we're off to a good start.

A little bit of silky smooth slide guitar gives us a nice, laid back easy-listening country feel on the next track. Hmm, Blake Sennett's voice is quite nice. I think I could easily put this album on in the background somewhere and be quite comfortable.

The album plods inoffensively along with a bit of familiar sounding light Beatlesque piano, gentle singing, and predictable songwriting. A few soaring harmonies and a boppy piano riff burst and I'm listening to McCartney on sedatives. The songs spin by pleasantly. More of the same. Airy and fluffy country twinged pop-rock. Transparently earnest and playful little songs which are instantly rewarding, yet somehow not really turning me on. More of the same.

The stripped back melancholy ballad Desiree creates a little more of a sparse and interesting sound amongst the sugary lite twee sweetness of the rest of the album, however unfortunately this is the only break we really ever get. A little bit of clever guitar playing from Mike Bloom during Biggest Star is the next highlight - a pleasant and playful arrangement gives the guitarist space to build a raucous rock crescendo which allows the band to really let fly, for once in the entire album.

Short outro At Home (Time Unknown) is an extended reprise of the intro, a gorgeous little folk ditty worthy of one Beatle or another, which ties the album up and giving it a nice folksy exit.

Sun, Sun, Sun is an album which is incredibly rounded and nicely produced to the point where it's frustrating. It's a warbling, sunny, head bopping collection of songs that oozes pleasantness but never really grabs the spotlight, despite getting quite close at times.

I can feel that beneath the innocent playfulness of the songwriting, there's potential for rawness which could have lent the songs a much more interesting sound. Whether the overt lushness and tweeness of the songs are applied tongue-in-cheek I'll never know, but I have a suspicion that The Elected are holding back on us. I'm sure there was at least one guitarist in that studio just itching to cut loose and turn up the volume, before breaking a guitar over somebody's head. And unfortunately, we'll never get to hear that sweet, sweet sound.