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Soul Whirling Somewhere : Eating The Sea
ARTIST: Soul Whirling Somewhere TITLE: Eating The Sea LABEL: projekt (PRO43) TRACK TIME: 59:01There are so many good things to be said about this disc. I've been wanting to review it, every since I bought it, but have been scared to do so. This is an intimidating disc to me. Eating The Sea is so beautiful. Projekt spared nothing when it came to putting this one together. The disc comes in a clear plastic jewel case with subtle cover and interior photos by Susan Jennings. Darkwave is even offering a Wallpaper Rate on Eating The Sea posters, buy 5, get 5 free (PRO43p $20), which again features the same abstract aqua art. Not exactly what I'd do my room in, but knock yourself out. All through this disc the linear notes are done with a wash of colors, and guess what folks, there are printed lyrics! Ironically though, this is a band where they aren't needed.
Strangely, no song really stands above its peers. This is not to imply that all the songs sound alike, or that none are spectacular, I just can't find one I like better than the others. I'm listening to this disc as I write this review (I almost always do that), and every time a new song comes over my headphones, I think, "Yeah, this is the best song on this disc!" Well, track 4, "Wish," is playing right now, so I would have to say it's the best. "Wish," and almost all the songs on this disc, have a real personal feel to them, like I've somehow managed to walk in on Michael Plaster singing to a lover, except there is no sense of embarrassment on my part.
Hell, I don't know what to say about this disc without getting all gushy. In the book "Grendel" by John Gardner, the monster comes upon the minstrel singing songs about Creation and the damnation of the offspring of Cain. These songs drive the monster into an insane frenzy because he knows that the songs are all a lie, but he believes them anyway. This is sort of how I feel when listening to Eating The Sea. I feel like I'm a monster, forever on the outside, never to truly understand, but damned to love (when he feels he's incapable of such emotion) the very thing that causes him pain. Grendel says it best, "'Ah, sad one, poor old freak!' I cry, and hug myself. and laugh, letting out salt tears, he he! till I fall down gasping and sobbing. (It's mostly fake.)"
"Unhittable" is playing, so accordingly is now the best song. With lines like, "i sink into the pool of blissful sighs and choke myself to death, knowing that, sometimes, strangeness can never be recaptured," well excuse me, while I try to recover. It's not the words exactly, but the way they fit with the music. Oh this disc is just too exquisite.
Eating The Sea is a slow, synthe driven, vocal dependent release. Listening is much like having someone sing you to sleep. It's by no means boring, but rather relaxing. The recording is splendidly clear and pleasurable to listen to. I've already said no songs stand above or apart, and amazingly no songs fall short either. Out of all the reviews I've done so far, this is only one of two that have managed to escape my pen without negative comments.
Since this is a debut, it will be interesting to see if Soul Whirling Somewhere will meet my high standards with their next release (hey, they're the ones who put my expectations through the stratosphere). I'll be buying anything else I can get by this band.
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