Blue Sky Mile "Sands Once Seas" CD
[Initial]
I'm not sure how I feel about this. It's quirky emo/indie rock that never really uses full blown distortion, and carries with it "unique" high-pitched singing that honestly doesn't fit the music very well. The songwriting is kind of cool, I like the layering between guitars and the rhythm section, the songs have a good flow to 'em and there are some memorable moments, etc. But those vocals really grate on my nerves, they're not right for this stuff. These songs need a nice midrange singing voice that's not too calm but not too over the top in any direction. This high-pitched stuff is okay because the guy can sing, but the mix places the vocals a little too out front, and their range is higher than everything else, which makes them even more focal. I wish I was able to get over that because there are a few songs that I really fucking enjoy, but I just can't do it. The recording could use some work, too. It's pretty damn good, but there's a certain dryness to it that doesn't benefit anything. It's not raw enough to really feel rough around the edges, but it's not clean enough to really get that lush sort of density to it, so it's resting in this weird unpolished middleground that's neither here nor there. I love the defined bass tone (almost giving the more involved bass runs a progressive edge), and the drums are nice as well, but the guitars and vocals need more thickness and the mix could use more cohesion. I do really like the artwork here. All of the visuals are paintings with a muted color scheme, but it looks awesome, and fairly atypical to most of what crosses my path these days. Lyrically everything is sort of abstractly personal and flows well. I'm not blown away, but I do find the content to be better than average. "October blood runs cold through these veins tonight and I can't see their faces through these lights the character I played on that desert street and this curtain opens this idea first hit me on that desert street this idea how much of him how much of me this idea have I been acting all along?" In the end? Good, but not great. I'd love to hear these guys with a better vocalist. No, I take that back. This guy's an okay vocalist, just not for this exact style of music. So technically I'd love to hear these guys with a more suitable vocalist. I'm a fan of most of the musicianship regardless, however. (6/10)
Running time - 35:19, Tracks: 9
[Notable tracks: Second Impact, The Philosophy of Time Travel, The Edge of Town]
Initial Records - http://www.initialrecords.com

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