The Boat That Folked
Exposure to Pale Seas and double A-side ‘Bodies/My Own Mind’ happened sometime last year when it came upon the work playlist. It was a “who is this!?” followed swiftly by an “I’m nicking that!” That personal composition has since fallen through but Pale Seas have marched proudly on having recently been featured in the Guardian and BBC Introducing.
Last night the Southampton four-piece played on Tamesis Dock to showcase their brand new EP Places to Haunt. The venue was a quaint 1930s Dutch barge (apparently) that sat, unimposing, along the Albert Embankment and it was hard not to walk passed the damn thing. Support band Early Ghost expressed gypsy-esque chords and sweet harmonies on mandolins but the atmosphere was for the Seas. I was rammed in there – both tiers of the boat – and couldn’t swing a cat. If this boat goes down tell my wife I love her very much.
It was easy to fall in love with Pale Seas’ dreamy, reverb-heavy style. It is not necessarily pushing boundaries or doing anything new but it has its appeal. It is uncomplicated melancholy, almost other worldly and at the centre, emotive evocation. The set kicked into gear three songs in with their stand-out tracks including new entryWicked Dreams, which demonstrated a percussive urgency and catchy vocal hook. Unfortunately, My Own Mind was performed a little too fast and lacked the subtlety of the recorded version. However, that could be put down to adrenaline and what have you. Acoustical beast Bodies received the biggest cheer and deservedly so. It is unquestionably their best work to date and a personal favourite. At this level, it is still surprising how sometimes the sound can fluctuate between good or bad and this show was no exception. I’m sure all it takes is a tweak to the mix to let the vocals punch through the wall of sound of guitars and bass, especially, in the case of a style such as Pale Seas, where the vocals and melody are the focal point. Places to Haunt solidifies Pale Seas’ style in reverb-drenched guitars and uncomplicated percussion brought together by Jacob Scott’s yearning vocals. At the same time, there is steady evolution in their song writing as their confidence continues to grow. Definitely keeping an eye out on this one and more tunes please!
Although more Pale Seas London gigs have yet to be announced, they will be playing next with Alessi’s Ark on August 17th at the Ventnor Fringe Festival. Check out the link for tickets.
Sherwin Claridge
Originally posted on Walloh.com August 8th 2014
http://blog.walloh.com/post/94147956710/pale-seas-places-to-haunt-ep-launch-boat-party
