UK psychedelic noise-rock experimenters Teeth of the Sea embrace the more spectral side of their sound on the tellingly titled Wraith.
The industrial punk elements of prior releases are recalibrated, no longer spending as much time at the forefront of the mix. Now, their sonic knives are honed and deployed with the precision of assassins. The compositions that make up Wraith take their time building scenes, setting the mood, luring you in with seductive saxophone lines, ethereal synth orchestras and buoyant drum programming, before driving an icepick of noise through your skull at just the right moment.
Not every song employs those dynamic tactics. This album's a more subtle affair than that, making it all the more potent when the band do drop stealth bombs on their beautiful creations. Mid-album highlight "Visitor" is a great example; building from a simple modular synth line and sparse atmospherics, it explodes into a Jaga Jazzist-esque epic psychedelic prog workout, quiet unexpectedly, and to spectacular effect.
While the album is constructed around a series of lengthy pieces, the shorter songs between them are all brimming with character and atypical hooks of a more cinematic nature. This allows the band to explore new avenues of sound while also crafting the most sophisticated and pristinely produced versions of their signature sound to date. Whether you're a new or old listener to Teeth of the Sea, Wraith will be a fresh experience.
(Rocket Recordings)The industrial punk elements of prior releases are recalibrated, no longer spending as much time at the forefront of the mix. Now, their sonic knives are honed and deployed with the precision of assassins. The compositions that make up Wraith take their time building scenes, setting the mood, luring you in with seductive saxophone lines, ethereal synth orchestras and buoyant drum programming, before driving an icepick of noise through your skull at just the right moment.
Not every song employs those dynamic tactics. This album's a more subtle affair than that, making it all the more potent when the band do drop stealth bombs on their beautiful creations. Mid-album highlight "Visitor" is a great example; building from a simple modular synth line and sparse atmospherics, it explodes into a Jaga Jazzist-esque epic psychedelic prog workout, quiet unexpectedly, and to spectacular effect.
While the album is constructed around a series of lengthy pieces, the shorter songs between them are all brimming with character and atypical hooks of a more cinematic nature. This allows the band to explore new avenues of sound while also crafting the most sophisticated and pristinely produced versions of their signature sound to date. Whether you're a new or old listener to Teeth of the Sea, Wraith will be a fresh experience.
