I & II are the first two album by new Supergroup Drink The Sea who have issued the two albums separately or as a double album. Drink The Sea are Peter Buck, Barrett Martin, Alain Johannes, Duke Garwood and Lisette Garcia who are joined by special guests David Catching, Sigga, Elin and Beta Eythorsdottir who are known as Systur. The album was recorded at Sunyata Sound in Olympia Studio Paradis in Reykavik, Studio High Five in Sao Paolo, Rancho De la Luna in Joshua tree, Sea Blue Lounge in Hastings and 11AD3 in Santiago being produced by Barrett Martin and Alain Johannes and mixed by Alain Johannes at La Casa Murada in Barcelona.
Disc I opens with the soft jazz shuffle Shaking For the Snakes narrated vocals remind me of Barry Adamson at his most noirish, this could soundtrack some dark mumblecore epic. Saturn Calling with exploratory bass, harmonious laid-back vocals, finding a way through chaos, supple funky music nice sci-fi twists musically, guitar really flying off. Outside Again feels like a lost JJ Cale desert blues epic, minimally shifting the dial between the lovers looking for a way back to blissful times.
House Of Flowers is richly tip toeing through flowerbeds to gentle vibraphone laid back flickering moments in a glorious love affair. Pour Your Glow On full of hushed emotions, trying to find a way to bring some unity rather than being downtrodden, angelic backing vocals add subtle feeling. Land Of Spirits a similar feel to late period Nick Cave, ruminative yet with sparkling guitars and electric sitar conjuring up an array of elements for dancing within a trance too.
Tuareg Asteroid is spaced out chants from deep in the desert, vocal chants have an Archie Shepp spiritual jazz edge, while recalling Mark Mulholland's African explorations. The Strangest Season deep reflections on just how strange things have become, how do they work a way through the malaise, with jangling precision, bringing together disparate elements to create a new unity.
Paredes builds a wall of slow deliberate strings and other elements, while not discussing the Boca Juniors star midfielder, hummed vocals trying to chant down the wall that separates us. Where We Belong is a lullaby for the hope we can all find a safe place, where we feel like we belong without fear, so we can feel whole and happy together, choir like backing vocals have a hymnal quality. Disc I closes with Embers slow murmurs and seemingly improvised strings, observing the fading glow of the Embers from last nights fire, the vocals have a Lee Marvin echo or two.
Disc II opens with Sacred Tree a very spiritual piece, expansive drums and florid sax and clarinet, it almost has a New Seekers harmony vocal pop edge, this is beguiling, intriguing music to open minds. Sweet As A Nut has shaken percussion for a tale of western adventures sublimating intentions. Bembe For Two is I assume in 6/8 time shuffling along allowing the pair to slowly move towards each other, hearing messages, helping to bring them together as one to that mythical Bembe rhythm.
Mouth Of The Whale is a dark folk tale in a Nick Cave vein, that is almost the opposite of Gallows In The Belly Of The Whale, will they find the redemption and escape from the jaws. Rose Crested Sky doesn't explain if it's in the morning or evening, so is it a delight or a warning, well no matter how bright it might seem, this still has a dark eminence like the backing vocals are calling you home.
Spirit Away has an irresistible dance beat in a seven veils style, kinetic I'd be surprised if you can sit still to this beguiling journey, lifting your Spirits Away from normality to a higher spiritual plane, I'd love to hear this on a large club sound system.
Aching Harbor casts us adrift in a reverie of sunrises lifting us up, hoping for renewal rather than more aching despair. Sip Of The Juice was enough to induce an air of late-night despair, loneliness and buzzed reverb guitars induce that wolf to leave you alone once more, departing from your door given his walking papers.
Midnight Starlight over Varanasi or Rishi Kesh deep spiritual river vibes, supple floating notes searching for another time a different space ascending piano meditation. Meteors shimmering strings slow bass intrusions, laying prone gazing at Meteors high above, ghostly vocals conjuring horizons beyond horizons from star to star. Disc II closes with Butterfly whose Gamelan wings flutter in search of relief, ice cold sadness, broken dreams slowly drifting away to innocence and dust.
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