All 1 entries tagged Seafood

Seafood

Writing about web page http://www.seafood.uk.com

Seafood might just be the indiest band in Britain today. They are so indie that even though the rise of indie has catapulted bands as esoteric as the Futureheads, and as pointless as Jet, into the spotlight, it really does look like Seafood won’t be making their way into the pages of the Sun’s showbiz column. Perfect for the hardened indie snob who intensely hates the idea that any band they love could possibly have anything so vulgar as recognition but a little sad for anyone who possess, oh I don’t know, ears!

From Seafood’s website.

None of the descriptions of them I’ve seen seem to really do them justice. Post grunge is sometimes applied as if that was a proper description and not just some ridiculous concoction seemingly created by someone who lacks imagination. It’s not post grunge. Nickelback are post grunge and we all know what that means. Ick.

Maybe they need hoisting by their own petard. They claim inspiration from the Pixies and Sonic Youth… except they’re somewhere between the two in terms of how ‘pop’ they sound. Too noisy and squalling to be the sinister children of ‘This Monkey’s Gone To Heaven’ but not quite as wilfully obtuse as them there Youth. They even advertised, when forming, for a male drummer and a female bassist to really get close to their inspirations. It’s therefore gratifying that they ended up with a female drummer and a male bassist. It’s little cock ups like that can make from great music. The closest you can get in recent times to their style is probably some sort of step along from Blur’s self titled album, something influenced by American college rock, but more British. We’re not talking Union Jacks at dawn here, more a reluctance to do anything the simple way.

(c) Holly Cruise, 7th October 2006 – Coventry Collosseum

What am I wibbling on about? In short Seafood make an odd sort of music. For want of any better descriptions they make the saddest sounding happy music you’ll hear. Their music is like the soundtrack to chasing ghosts down the roads in the town you were born in whilst watching as it decays around you. But the lyrics don’t point that way. They are almost optimistic at times, a strange way. It’s a world where your friends are assassins and you are too. When your lover is both irresistible and your enemy in some bizarre game of mortal combat. But it’s not the sound of confusion. All these contradictions are just presented as the way things are.

Most bands are writing songs which are musically and lyrically about going to the pub and having a drink (with consequences both good and bad). No wonder Seafood ain’t cracked it. The new literalism in music won’t sit easy with lines like “walking into corners/not facing straight/I’m begging for attention/in this silent space/so keep tearing out the splinters/it all starts here/it looks good on you/it does” (‘Splinter’). You’ll have a room full of achingly trendy indie haircuts all crammed into the corners… actually on second thoughts that’s not such a bad thing, hehehe.

(c) Holly Cruise, 7th October 2006 – Coventry Collosseum

Anyway, Seafood have four albums and a mini album of this sort of thing to get your paws on. The best place to start is middle release When Do We Start Fighting which is probably their most accessible release. From there we offer you the superlative ‘In This Light Will You Fight Me’, the sort of three part piece which is more instant than a three part song with no obvious chorus should be.

Seafood – ‘In This Light Will You Fight Me’ MP3 Expired

Their latest album, Paper Crown King, is also very good. It’s a little heavier than When Do We Start Fighting and serves as a good bridge between that and their first two releases, the mini album Messenger In The Camp and the proper album Surviving The Quiet. ‘Between The Noise Part 2’ does pretty much exactly what a Seafood song should do. And the title doesn’t really make sense which is nice. Stab stab, take that literalism.

Seafood – ‘Between The Noise pt.2’ MP3 Expired

Then there’s their third album, As The Cry Flows. It’s a bit of a divisive album, some fans love it, some dislike the disjointed nature of it and use the skip button rather a lot to pinpoint the better songs. Recorded after singer David had been in hospital with serious lung problems (and causing many cancelled gigs in Coventry which this writer really wanted to go to) it is more laid back, and somewhat alt.country in tone, it still has some classic Seafood style songs. Perhaps the fact it can be categorised more easily than the others is a hint. Anyway, we’ve included ‘Heat Walks Against Me’ which might just be their actual best song ever. It’s huge, all floatiness and light one minute and then BANG!! Immense soundscape of joy/doom/invention.

Seafood – ‘Heat Walks Against Me’ MP3 Expired

The indie community’s last hidden gem. What have they done to deserve this?

The Albums

Messenger In The Camp (mini album)
Surviving The Quiet (2001)
When Do We Start Fighting (2001)
As The Cry Flows(2004)_
Paper Crown King (2006)

: 15 Oct 2006 13:27 |  Tags: Holly Cruise Indie Music Rock Seafood |  Comments (1) |  Close comments |  Report a problem