ALBUM REVIEW: The Sea Within – The Sea Within
A freshly formed ‘super-group’, THE SEA WITHIN are the archetypal demonstration of music’s core nature: an ever-changing, meandering, terraforming beast. The classic genre of rock tends to offer the most apt examples of this: from punk, to prog, to alt, to hard, to post, to math, this is a style that whilst retaining it’s fundamental nerve-centre, often acts as the basis for other influences to orbit it, continually serving to amalgamate something new. Self-proclaimed as ‘art rock’, this band seem to be duly contributing to this procession, bringing together a selection of accomplished musicians, exploring a myriad of varying influences, and attempting to create something genuinely unique. Making their official debut, THE SEA WITHIN will unhand their brand new, self-titled record on Friday June 22nd; a golden opportunity to showcase a degree of the ‘art’ they claim to have created.
Without wanting to exhaust the term, ‘art’ really is a notion that is bestowed in flourishing colours throughout the course of this album. Presented in a notably ambitious two-part format, comprised of twelve tracks and spanning eighty minutes, the record is given considerable room to breath, exploring a vast array of different elements along the way. Opening track Ashes Of Dawn takes no prisoners in this regard. Adopting a very much traditional prog approach, the song commences in fairly reserved fashion, establishing alluring melody through the use of keys and clean guitar tones, layered with the soft placidity of clean vocals to complete the picture. As the arrangement progresses however, the lines begin to blur, and dimensions of complexity begin to gradually seep into the mix, most notably through flurries of tempo changes, the intensifying atmosphere created by synthetic elements, and the employment of saxophone-driven sections.
In the midst of what often conveys as sonic mania, a clear notional picture presents itself: namely, that the soundscapes continually wax and wane, alternating between nigh-on chaotic, instrumentally-charged sections, and more straight-forward, melodic passages awash with serene clean vocals, significantly comparable to acts such as OPETH, DREAM THEATRE, and HAKEN. Something that allows for both melodic accessibility, and an ultra-musical outlet for the aforementioned ‘art’, this is an approach that seems to be utilised time and again throughout this record, and prevails as a clear trope.
Whereas at times the aforementioned formula is applied en masse within single songs, in other instances entire tracks are dedicated to a certain theme. A clear instance of this is The Void, a five-minute piece conveying as almost entirely vocally centred. A smooth, soft ballad, this song takes a notable back-seat, merging streams of delicate, languid vocal passages, and slow, bluesy guitar solos, at times acting as a sense of respite from the bedlam that often occurs throughout the record.
Sixth track Sea Without, however, takes on quite the opposite form, serving as further proof of this erratic approach. Entirely instrumental, the song acts as an interlude of sorts, meandering from point to point, utilising in abundance everything from harmonised synths and keys, to epic, pinch-harmonic-based guitar work, to sporadic metre-changes, and topped off with an array of impressive percussion, laden with fills and grooves aplenty. With the two core approaches outlined, it seems only fitting to nod in the direction of Broken Cord, a fourteen minute epic that sees an enterprise of everything aforementioned. Not only does this song serve to combine a pinch of everything this album has to offer, but more importantly it’s able to merge the two previously mentioned styles, showcasing that these approaches can be successfully utilised in allegiance, and independently of one another.
Of all the prog-esq. elements abundantly on display throughout this record, fifth track An Eye For An Eye For An Eye perhaps serves as the best example of the eclecticism at play, being what is essentially a rather more simplistic take, and something that fundamentally conveys as a rock’n’roll number at times. The song’s lead hook is delivered atop a steady, simple tempo, maintaining a standard four-four groove, with song’s title delivered multiple times as a chorus of sorts. Amongst the album’s sporadic vignettes of sonic madness, this not only acts as a welcome sense of recess, but also serves to exemplify the range of ambition at play in the songwriting. This being said, typically of the record, the song does change pace eventually, launching into a jazz/blues-fuelled arrangement, entirely abandoning the larking, hook-laden antics of the prior section. In any case though, the theme of ambition and often stark contrast is once again very much demonstrated through this song.
Despite, once again, being intended as an overt expression of art, it must be said that overall, the length of the entire record is perhaps a little overwhelming. To some, this album may be a prog masterclass, and we can absolutely see why; but this being said, the average listener may struggle to absorb all eighty minutes of THE SEA WITHIN‘s debut attempt. In addition, despite what we feel comes across at times as a thoroughly well-balanced approach comprising both complexity and modesty, it does at times feel as though the balance is weighted slightly too far in the direction of traditional, vocal-based prog ballads, to the extent where many of the songs begin to merge together and lose their individual distinction.
This being said, it’s certainly no secret based on the analysis above that this is still an impressive, and at times truly stunning, debut attempt from a newly formed, collaborative project. Not only is the individual musical prowess abundantly clear as a result of THE SEA WITHIN being a super-group formed of reputable artists, but the time and thought exerted into the finished product is practically tangible, and conveys as utterly striking in certain instances. The notion of the overwhelming length is certainly an issue, however it’s one that naturally comes down to subjectivity, and must be left to the nuances of taste. Overall, it seems that this record could come to represent the nucleus of a greatly ambitious and successful act, and we sincerely hope that this is something that comes to fruition.
Rating: 8/10
The Sea Within is out now via InsideOut Music.
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