The Baltic Sea - Through Scenic Heights And Days Regrets
[Ericrock]

Last time round, Ericrock treated us to a rather fine EP (review link) of dynamic post-rock and post-hardcore from their flagship band Motionless and the Boston-based imprint is set to win our hearts again with the release of The Baltic Sea’s promising full length debut.

Hailing from Portland, Maine this quartet have actually been around since 2001, so it’s a little surprising to see their first record surface some seven years later. That being said they haven’t exactly been resting on their laurels as they have developed a very tight, inventive sound that is surely the result of relentless performing. Furthermore, there has been considerable effort injected into the production of this record, the differing guitars textures sound massive, the percussion and bass strong and the vocals mixed just right. It marks this album as a cut above the majority made by other independently backed bands.

Sonically, The Baltic Sea play an atmospheric, occasionally instrumental and oftentimes euphoric, brand of rock – driven in particular by the emotive vocals of frontman/guitarist Todd Hutchisen. Opener, “Monswoon” is a fine statement of intent, as both guitarists trade intricate chords until they interlock into hypnotic knot-like textures, over a sweeping percussion arrangement. There are parts of this song that strongly recall Radiohead, with tracks such as “Knives Out” coming to mind.

In fact, there’s a progressive influence throughout much of this album and, while the likes of “Parallax” and “Cry Aloud (Then Explain)” meander for too long before leaving it too late to register their mark, both “Impasse” and “Dot.Violence” are absolutely monumental. The former delights with its exuberant crescendo/chorus, gloriously straddling the line between Sigur Ros and The Smashing Pumpkins. The latter, meanwhile, is clearly influenced by Pink Floyd, yet is delivered with such convincing panache and passion that few could fault such an attempt.

It may have been 7 long years in the making, but it has been time well spent. The Baltic Sea are clearly comfortable in any number of configurations and part of this record’s charm is their refusal to bow to genre boundaries as they effortless blend their largely alternative sound with post-rock and prog-rock influences, making a mockery of such barriers. Hutchisen is an excellent frontman and in possession of an alluring voice, which at times has a similar high-pitched resonance to that of Perry Farrell. Though, this is clearly the work of a tight unit, with each member of this quartet as integral as the next. “Through Scenic Heights...” despite the occasional misstep, is a thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding record.

Tracklisting:

1. Monswoon
2. Parallax
3. The Everyday Separation
4. Carpenter
5. No Heart March
6. Impasse
7. Cry Aloud (Then Explain)
8. Dot.Violence