Prelude To The Sea

Track Listings
1. Adagio
2. Lento
3. Andante
4. Allegro

Discography
Prelude To The Sea (2007)


 

Release Date: (April 10, 2007)
Label: Thirty Ghosts Records


December  Hotel 
Overall Rating:  +++-

 
Album Review
f you are familiar with post-rock. Then you are probably familiar with
a few of the giants from the genre. Like Explosions in the Sky,
Godspeed You Black Emperor and Sigur Ros. Now I have nothing
against the genre. In fact I have stumbled across a lot of good music
in the genre. My problem is the repetitive nature of most the bands
that follow the three I mentioned. It seems their styles are so often
copied. That every band that comes along now seems like a clone
of one of the bands I mentioned.

Now that's where Sa La Mer comes in. Atsu Nagayama
(The Boredoms, The Prescriptions), is the mask behind the music.
She wrote and arranged all the music for the debut ep. The ep was
recorded at Doug Scharin's Chicago studio in 2002. So it's nice to
see this piece of work finally see the light of day. She even managed
to enlist the help of some familiar names. People like Dino,
Julie Lui (of Rex and Tortoise), Jason Dermott,
Kim Ambriz (Rabbit Rabbit) and Fred Erskine (June of '44 and Hoover)

Quite frankly I have to admit I enjoy the cd. But nothing here seems
to really reach out at me. At times it's even hard to distinguish one
song from the next. A sense of “I’ve already heard this” is certainly
always present when listening. Strong touches of the trumpet and violin
linger through out. Which is a good thing I might add.

Chances are I will still be interested in the her next release. For the
uninitiated, "Prelude to the Sea" is a slightly above marginal release,
yet well worth picking up for anyone interested.

~ Anthony P. Hanna

 

 

Sur La Mer(Homepage)

 

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