On The Water

Strong upfront bass and beats in an 80’s way bring to mind early New Order but the drama and complexity makes me think Bowie yet its all really forward and advanced amalgams of familiarity mixed with the novel. Unique male vocals and really heavy instrumentation a la Roxy Music, Bowie, epic 80’s bands like Tears For Fears, Ultravox, Simple Minds, Factory Records dance ethos. Not indie rock, not psyche. Is it synth pop? Its melodic. Is it avante, pretentious? Nope, at least not in a bad way. Is it cinematic and epic? Yes. Is it interesting and worth playing? You better believe it.

1) (4:51) starts ambient with clanging sounds and then a distant beat comes up on the horizon, dark old New Order comes to mind in the music but the vocals are dramatic as are the embellishments and smack of Bowie at his best, dang
2) (3:59) epic, how else to describe, upbeat
3) (3:15) slower, dramatic, female vocals take the lead, soar
4) (1:28) brief, minimal bass, guit, and noise, reminds me of an Eno interlude on Another Green World, play with next?
5) (5:44) slower, takes a bit to evolve, ballady
6) (4:06) very dramatic, soaring melodic vocals
7) (6:19) starts quiet, Eno’esque synths looping, lovely ambience, after ~2:20 a near techno beat appears and it takes on an 80’s dance club, Factory Records, feel
8) (4:06) starts with quiet simple organ, takes on total 80’s New Order beat and feel
9) (3:17) ocean sounds to start, very ambient and chill, vocs
10) (4:35) begins chill but then big beat and bass come in mindful and solid if on the slow side
11) (0:54) ambient album ender