The Speed of Sound in Seawater

Red Version

Written by: DR on 18/07/2010 18:53:01

The Speed of Sound in Seawater is four members that claim this band is the result of their love for one another. They have two EPs to their name, one is titled "Blue Version", the other, the one I'm reviewing, is titled "Red Version". I'm going to hazard a guess that both have been inspired by Pokemon, particularly the Game Boy games - I mean just look at them! (that's also the place to download their music for free).

The Speed of Sound in Seawater play something resembling indie pop, however, due to the intricate nature of each song there is surely no escaping the "math" tag. This isn't such a bad thing though, because that same intricate nature is exactly what makes TSOSIS so damn endearing. Each of the four musicians are all on the exact same wave length - until I had looked on their Myspace profile I genuinely believed this was a one-man project - resulting in a sound that seems carefully considered and constructed with a very-clear target on what each track should amount to: an uplifting take on the trials and tribulations of young love that doesn't take itself too seriously. This isn't just a by-the-numbers pop band that know how to sound happy, either; the saccharine vocals are delicate one moment, seemingly in a comfort zone by never breaking the proverbial sweat, will then jump to nervous screams the next and then back again, leaving the listener in a state of "wtf". And the lyrics, oh man, the lyrics. Whoever is writing them seems adverse to the idea that not all of them must rhyme in couplets; but, in that TSOSIS nature, they're far from typical, so a tongue-in-cheek approach is a must, for they rhyme "chivalry" with "breed, "priest" with "deceased", and, the coup-de-grace, "prerequisites" with "desolate".

"Red Version" is an impressive output for a young band. It's creative, innovative and most of all interesting. The only real downfalls of it are what you'd expect of a band early in their career, and therefore cannot be too harsh about: the production and the consistency; there is that inevitable issue of filler, but it's the gems you should look out for as they are usually a good indicator of potential, and in this case the future is definitely bright.

7

Download: All their tunes, legally and for free
For The Fans of: fun.; Minus The Bear; Colour; This Town Needs Guns
Listen: Myspace

Release Date April 2010
Self-Released

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