|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
BUY THE CD
|
| | | |
British Sea Power (yes, they’re from Britain) has never been afraid to try something new. And now, with their newest album, Sea of Brass, they can add remaking some of their old hits with (you guessed it) brass to their list of experiments. However (without trying to sound too Spider-Man-y), with great ambition comes great skepticism and—depending on how well it is received—either great praise or great criticism. This will be tale of the latter.
I must admit that, with its mind-blowing shifts in dynamics along with subtle instrumental injections and a refreshing absence of singing, the opening number, “Heavenly Waters,” had me thinking that this was going to be an album for the ages. Unfortunately, follow-ups “Once More Now” and “Albert’s Eyes” provide a much more accurate glimpse into its true nature: boredom. Uninteresting percussion, stagnant dynamics, and shoddy brass utilization create an environment just clashy enough to make lead singer Yan Scott Wilkinson’s mellow voice sound awkward against the backdrop.
After starting off much like the last two tracks, “Atom” quickly shifts into an upbeat guitar-centered head-bobber while reintroducing some of those bombastic dynamic changes to bring some life back to the album. Then “A Light Above Descending” and “Machineries of Joy”—almost as if sensing enjoyment and fearing rebellion—return to the same dull, straightforward drumming and uncomfortable combinations of brass and voice that made their twin brothers so underwhelming.
“When a Warm Wind Blows Through the Grass” finally provides some interesting drumming, pitting it against a catchy guitar melody that gives the feel of a chase in progress. But, alas, it’s stifled by yet another return to the same old issues (although there are at least some of those fantastic dynamic changes) in “The Great Skua,” to conclude the album with a resounding thud.
I know what you’re thinking: three good songs out of eight doesn’t sound so bad, right? But keep in mind that each song ranges somewhere between four and seven minutes long, which can only serve to transition the stronger tracks into weaker ones and the weaker ones into triggers for future rage cycles. Listen at your own risk.
|
|
|
|
