The Artificial Sea – City Island

The debut album from Brooklyn duo Kevin C. Smith and Alina Simone (AKA The Artificial Sea), “City Island” gets off to a good start with early standout track “Gloryhole” – a track that blends together some good electronic effects, punchy drums which drive the song forward, and an impressive vocal delivery from Alina. It’s an ambitious and imposing start to the album, and shows much potential for the rest of the album.

“The Light of 1,000 Televisions” is a more laidback and relaxed affair in comparison, with an insistent beat in the background driving the song along at a steady pace. This relaxed approach is the setting for much of the album, with Alina’s vocals and lyrics being ably backed up by some interesting techniques and soundscapes. A perfect example is “Tunnel Vision”, a song which uses strings to good effect, while “Ride This Thing” has a dark, almost sinister feel running through it.

“Vor” has a Middle Eastern vibe running through it and this, along with the other experimental directions and approaches that some of the tracks on “City Island” take, seems to work surprisingly well. “Things We Spent” and “Happy Ending” are reasonable efforts but just lack that certain something to really make them standout, while “Better Living” is the most experimental track on the album but it doesn’t really possess the qualities needed to hold the listener’s attention.

Next up is “Outpost” – the main highlight of the album with another impressive vocal performance from Alina combined with some elements of jazz, and more importantly a memorable melody before “Milemarker” ensures the album finishes strongly.

“City Island” is an intriguing listen and contains some impressively imaginative soundscapes and strong vocal performances, and while the experimental nature of the album does at times leave the listener wondering quite where the album is heading, it is an album which never proves dull or uninteresting and this ensures that it is definitely worth a listen.

Rating: 7/10

Reviewed by: Music Spotlight

Further Links: Myspace Site Official Site Travelling Music
 

Out: Now

On: CD

Tracklist:

1. Gloryhole

2. The Light of 1,000 Televisions

3. Tunnel Vision

4. Ride This Thing

5. Vor

6. Things We Spent

7. Happy Ending

8. Better Living

9. Outpost

10. Milemarker