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Review: Sick/Sea - Moral Compass [EP]

Autumn & Colour Records // A confident first effort that only falls down occasionally

by BenG_Writes, October 20th, 2012 and has been Read 680 times.
Last Edited by: Jack Stovin October 20th, 2012.

Coming straight out of Texas, post-indie three-piece Sick/Sea have released their debut EP, Moral Compass, a confident first effort that only falls down occasionally. And like a newborn deer taking it's first steps, you know that it won't be long before they can stand proudly on all feet.

Instrumentally Moral Compass excels, building to choruses with waves of clean guitar riffs and superbly syncopated drum beats. Musically the EP bares similarities to |The XX or Mogwai with their brand of commercially viable post-rock, with a large dose of indie-rock thrown in to keep the listener entertained. Vocally the EP suffers from a slightly generic sound, it's not that there's a bad range or that it's out of tune, but lead singer Audrey Scott's voice is hardly ear-grabbing, reminiscent of Amy Lee of Evanescence or Haley Williams of Paramore (and do we really need another one of either of those?).

Lyrically, Moral Compass veers from commercially simplistic to relatively endearing in a heartbeat. Some lines sound too brazenly facile to hold your interest in the songs subtext, while others clearly have had a lot of thought put into them. "I change my dreams like socks on my feet" falls into the former category, and pushing the metaphor beyond that was not an advisable move, but because these hiccups are so fleeting it hardly mars your enjoyment of the music at all.

By far the strongest track on the EP, Robot hits the balance just right. There's a strong focus on the atmosphere of the song, beginning with a steady guitar riff that builds up in layers, culminating in a glorious indie chorus of hand-clapping drum-work, weaving bass and intelligently minimal guitar. Likewise Mermaids is a gratifying listen, utilizing the same skills found in Robot to create a richer, more identifiable tune.



So Moral Compass is a complicated animal, powerful and enigmatic but also too lyrically soft to hit the emotional point their music aspires to. But that doesn;t mean that you should count Sick/Sea out, with Moral Compass they have shown a real knack for creating enjoyable and exciting music. It's more that the worlds of vocals and instruments seem too separate to be awe-inspiring, but that will come with time. "I'll be the first to admit, I've got some growing up to do" sings Scott on Robot, and you can't help but agree.

Moral Compass is out now on Autumn & Colour Records.

The band can be found live at the following tour dates:

• Oct 22 @ Buzzbin Super Stage: Canton, OH

• Oct 24 @ Lit Lounge: NYC, NY (Toro Booking CMJ Showcase with Victor Villarreal- Cap’n Jazz, Joan of Arc, Owls)

• Oct 25 @ Dock Street: Staten Island, NY

• Oct 26 @ Downtown Quarterback: Endicott, NY

• Oct 27 @ Studio Luloo: Oaklyn, NJ

• Oct 28 @ Deep South: Raleigh, NC

• Oct 29 @ The Saloon At North Carolina Music Factory: Charlotte, NC

• Oct 30 @ The Warehouse: Cleveland, TN

• Oct 31 @ The Drunken Unicorn: Atlanta, GA

• Nov 2 @ Gallery 13: Columbus, GA

• Nov 3 @ Cafe Coco: Nashville, TN

• Nov 4 @ Murphey’s: Memphis, TN

• Nov 6 @ Roxy’s: Columbia, MO

• Nov 7 @ Plush: St. Louis, MO

• Nov 8 @ Hannibal-LaGrange University: Hannibal, MO

• Nov 9 @ Blackthorn Pub: Joplin, MO

• Nov 10 @ Barleycorn's Bar: Wichita, KS

• Nov 13 @ Maxine's: Hot Springs, AR

• Nov 14 @ Bear's: Shreveport, LA

• Nov 15 @ HeadHunters: Austin, TX

• Nov 16 @ The Ten Eleven: San Antonio, TX

• Nov 17 @ Fall Back Records: McAllen, TX (CD RELEASE)

To find out more visit the band's Facebook here.