CD Reviews

The Sea At Midnight - The Sea At Midnight

November 2020

Indepedent 

Dark as the sea at night, emotional as the moon above. The Sea At Midnight releases debut full length album.

We've been listening to the singles, since January 2020. One of the bands that has been a pleasant surprise in 2020. The Sea at Midnight, the project of Vince Grant, collects all his stories and emotions in a debut release, the same titled full length album.

The Sea At Midnight is the solo project of songwriter Vince Grant. After participating in various bands and working on different jobs, Vince Grant returns to the thing he loves the most. Writing music. Although Vince thought that it would be difficult to return to this, and while he experienced a hard period of addictions and alcoholism, he manages to turn his depression in a beautiful music journey and expression.

The Sea At Midnight is an 8 track album, released on November 6th, 2020, and which is an interpretation of Vince's early post-punk influences and personal experiences.

Starting with "Medicine", The Sea At Midnight, clarifies the origins of the sound and the experiential structure of music and lyrics. Melodic dark ambience, guitars coming out from The Cure's paths, beautifully filled with some synths. "Melancholia" keeps the strength of the first track, with the sharpness in the riffs and being cold, romantic and melancholic at the same time.

"How Many Times" comes to confirm the influences of The Sea At Midnight. With a sense of 80's new romantics, Vince gets the tempo, a little, higher creating a tune of a walk and dance in the night. In "Edge Of The World" we find a desperation in the words of Vince, interpreting the mistakes that leads to loneliness, accompanied with the appropriate melancholy in the melody and the crystal guitar riffs.

"We Share The Same stars" starts with a more obvious post-punk attitude, while the reference to the main influences of the band is present again. The Cure-like guitar riiffs from the first note to the last word. While the story is quite sad, at the end, there is a feeling of hope that remains to the listener. Next is the "Afterglow", keeping the uptempo, and, going even higher. Strong bassline and some really beautiful synths going all along, together with Vince voice and the sharp guitars. This one certainly makes you feel like running, trying to catch the afterglow. Strangely, there is a sense of adrenaline rising. Probably one of my favorites.

"Anything About You" glances to the popish side of the new wave arrangements from Vince. Closing the album, there is "Sweet Addiction". A song about the addictions we all have, some time , in our lives, and the difficulty to stop, even when it hurts. Melancholic melodies in synth scales and guitar chords.

"The Sea At Midnight" is an album that hides some true stories about depression, addictions and difficulties we all face. While, there is all these sad emotions and the base is the darkest sides of new / dark wave and romanticism, the lines that Vince Grant uses in his arrangements are clear, sharp and compact. There is a mixture in tempo and tunes that fits perfectly to the emotions that Vince wants to take out. Overall, a really promising debut album, from an artist that he just let his feelings and stories lead his writing and playing.

 

Info:

https://www.facebook.com/theseaatmidnight

https://theseaatmidnight.bandcamp.com/

https://theseaatmidnight.bandcamp.com/album/the-sea-at-midnight

https://www.instagram.com/theseaatmidnight/

https://twitter.com/theseaatmidnig1

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClhiSjNVg9zOOpBbdQyExWQ