A Burial at Sea – Close to Home
Release Date: 23rd February 2024
Label: Pelagic Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Alternative, Instrumental, Jazz, Math-Rock, Post-Rock.
FFO: And So I Watch You From Afar, This Will Destroy You, Caspian and Some Become Hollow Tubes (Godspeed You! Black Emperor).
Review By: Hillary Wisniewski
Since 2018 Irish musicians Patrick Blaney and Dara Tohill have been crafting their gorgeous sound with the project A Burial at Sea. The newest release, Close to Home, offers a melodic respite from vocal-driven works. The album was developed during lockdown and is described as “Haunting, bittersweet melodies plucked from childhood, folksong memories ebb and flow like a stream of consciousness as the eclectic collective dial down the overdrive and let the ephemeral, organic spaces where distortion meets horn section sing out the loudest.”
The opening track, páirc béal uisce, gives one the feeling they are sitting at the edge of a lake during the early hours of the morning, eagerly waiting for the sun to rise. The percussion has an organic, elemental feel to it, and the guitar rings out clear and shimmering like light on the water. Layers of sound blend together, and the warm tones of brass are woven into the mix. The transition to the next song, tor head, takes listeners to a different place. Heavy and driving, quick and complex, it is easy to get lost in this track, and I mean that in the best possible way. From a technical standpoint, Close to Home is stellar from start to finish. There are math-rock and progressive elements blended with some shoegaze and post rock; it is tied together seamlessly. The numerous guitar tones provide an immensely comfortable, fuzzy feeling. Rhythmically, everything is solid; the drums sound nice and crisp and the bass has a lot of warmth and roundness to it. The album shifts and builds throughout in a way that feels vibrant and hopeful; it is a work in which someone can kick back after a long day and decompress. I would liken it to hitting a reset button for one’s tired soul.
As far as critiques go: there are a couple of times in which vocals are used and are so buried in the mix that it makes one question the intention of them being present. The reality is they would have been welcome and would not detract from the overall work. No matter, though-this is just a minor point of contention and not a big deal in the grand scheme of things. If you are looking for something a bit more hopeful sounding that can satisfy those technical chops, then look no further than Close to Home.
(4 / 5)
