The Speed of Sound in Seawater
First Contact
Sounds like: Soulful, mellow math-rock/indie jams.
Score: 9/10
If you spend as many nights sitting on your laptop listening to random bands as I do you’ll eventually come across talent like The Speed of Sound in Seawater. A rising group in the indie scene, they’ve been gaining popularity thanks to their smooth math-rock riffs and compelling songwriting. With several EPs on their resume already, First Contact is a great debut full-length.
“To Kelly Lee” and its inviting acoustic introduction kick things off in the best of ways. This is really one of those bands whose songs only take full shape once you read the lyrics, and each of their three (!!) singers/songwriters are incredibly talented. Seemingly happy and very catchy, “Anyanka” ends up being one of the saddest songs I’ve ever heard and “Opassa’s Grotto” is a beautiful song about a fun night spent in a sea cave. It’s been stuck on repeat at my house for days.
The heavy riffs of “Soulmate 2.1” make it stand out from the two slow songs that sandwich it, one of which is my candidate for the best song on First Contact, “Kid Ghost II.” It’s a short, remarkable and enchanting song about losing a friend. “The Oddest Sea” closes the curtains on the record with the band’s bread and butter, shredding through an awesome story about coming upon land and realizing you weren’t the first ones there.
First Contact blew away all of my expectations. The band’s musicianship stands up to their stellar songwriting, and they’ve definitely come a long way from the strictly up-tempo math-rock days. This record has a song for any occasion and most emotions, and will have you looking for guitar tabs up and down the internet. The Speed of Sound in Seawater is still a relatively young band so look for more incredible material in the future. You can purchase this record on their Bandcamp page, where you can also find all of their lyrics, which I highly encourage you to read.
– Felipe Garcia
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