Black Seas’ introduction hooked me immediately; they said their music “features big shoegaze-y guitars and melodramatic vocals” and noted they “love Felt, MBV, and Scott Walker.” So now that we had that in common, I gave a listen and found a group with a wonderfully moody sound that – in a more contemporary sense – reminds me of one of my favorites: Wild Beasts. The quivering and theatrical vocals are one obvious reason why; it’s certainly in the same darkly quivering melodic realm as Hayden Thorpe, Morrissey, The Chameleons UK, Felt, etc. It certainly works for me, as I’m fond of them all.
Comparisons aside, Black Seas have their own trademarks that make their songs a fun listen. “Trembling” is a particularly impressive effort, particularly with an effervescent chorus that aptly starts with lyrics proclaiming “another sunny day” over an exuberant guitar progression, especially in comparison to the starkly gloomy draw of the main verses. This contrast between dark brooding and a shimmering, jangly chorus results in the central hook shining brightly. For similar goodness stream the group’s entire EP below and download it on Bandcamp:
