A Constant Sea | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Studio album by | |
Released |
|
Recorded | 2012–2013 |
Genre | |
Label | |
Producer | Jeff Berner |
Singles from A Constant Sea | |
|
A Constant Sea is the only album by American psychedelic/alternative rock band Heliotropes. It was released 18 June 2013 on Manimal Vinyl. Its musical sound ranges across heavy rock styles. The album follows on from various singles that they released and their tour with Esben and the Witch.
Heliotropes formed in 2009 by Jessica Numsuwankijkul and Amber Myers when Numsuwankijkul posted an advert on Craigslist, initially trying to find musicians to perform Brian Eno-style music, but they found this too hard. [1] They played a show with Astrid Pierce and one of the members, Cici Harrison, eventually joined the band a year later. On the subject, Numsuwankijkul said "I remember being like, “Oh, we wish she was in our band" and then a year later, she was." [1] Nya Abudu answered the advert on Cragslist and the line-up was complete. They began to form their sound, instead of playing Eno-style songs. [1]
The band signed to Manimal Vinyl in 2012 and released various single, three of which would appear on their first album. The album was recorded between 2012 and 2013. The title of the album comes from a song originally titled "A Constant Sea", but they didn't have enough time to record it. [1]
A Constant Sea explores significantly psychedelic territory musically, working in psychedelic rock and stoner metal / rock. [2] [3] [4] The songs hold footing in a mix of 1960s blues rock and early heavy metal. [3]
Heliotropes were credited with crafting "some of the heaviest indie rock available" with the album. [5] Sea also has grunge sounds reminiscent of the 1990s. [4] [5] Metallic sludge features as well, possibly implying a mix of the genres metallic hardcore and sludge metal. [6]
Jessica Numsuwankijkul's singing sees her don a "witchy timbre" and "yowl" like Hole's Courtney Love era Live Through This. [3] [5]
The album cover features artwork by Nor Ashraf, a Malaysian artist that the band met over the internet. Numsuwankijkul said that once she'd seen it she thought that it would always be the album cover. She also said she sees it as a follow up to the "Ribbons" cover, taken by Koen Jacobs of a Ram who had just finished drinking some water. [1]
After the recording, they went on their first US tour with Esben and the Witch. [7] [8] The band released a new song titled "Psalms" as a free download on the Rolling Stone website. [9] They later on announced their song "Quatto". [10] Both tracks were to be released on the band's debut album, A Constant Sea. A Constant Sea was released on 18 June 2013 on Manimal Vinyl as a digital download, but limited vinyl versions are to come soon. [11]
In May 2014, Goodnight Records released the LP version of the album, complete with new artwork and the unreleased title track. [12]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 6.9/10 [13] |
Metacritic | 70/100 [14] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Blurt | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Consequence | B [2] |
Paste | 8.0/10 [3] |
PopMatters | 6/10 [16] |
Spin | 8/10 [6] |
Tiny Mix Tapes | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
A Constant Sea was welcomed with generally positive reviews upon release. On Metacritic, it holds a score of 70 out of 100, indicating "generally favorable reviews", based on six reviews. [14]
Spin Magazine gave the album an 8/10 rating. Bowlegs Music made the album their record of the day saying that "A Constant Sea isn’t the sound of a band that met both only four years ago and in a completely different musical guise. It sounds like a group of long-time friends playing the music that they love, and playing it very well," giving it 8.4 and Allmusic said "Those who make it through the assault of riffs and overall detached feel of much of the record will be treated to obscured gems like "Christine," a near-perfect album closer that revisits moonlit '50s balladry through a Mazzy Star lens." [17] [5]
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Early in the Morning" | 4:07 |
2. | "Psalms" | 4:12 |
3. | "Everyone Else" | 3:01 |
4. | "Moonlite" | 4:16 |
5. | "Good and Evil" | 3:54 |
6. | "Ribbons" | 4:23 |
7. | "Quatto" | 4:56 |
8. | "The Dove" | 4:46 |
9. | "I Walk Upon the Water" | 4:22 |
10. | "Unadorned" | 3:20 |
11. | "Awake" | 4:24 |
12. | "Christine" | 4:01 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Early in the Morning" | 4:07 |
2. | "Psalms" | 4:12 |
3. | "Everyone Else" | 3:01 |
4. | "Good and Evil" | 3:54 |
5. | "Ribbons" | 4:23 |
6. | "Quatto" | 4:57 |
7. | "Awake" | 4:24 |
8. | "Christine" | 4:04 |
9. | "A Constant Sea" | 5:11 |
Credits adapted from the 2014 LP's Bandcamp page. [12]
Additional musicians
Technical
Easter Everywhere is the second studio album by the American psychedelic rock band the 13th Floor Elevators. It was released on 25 October 1967, through record label International Artists. It is regarded by many critics as one of the finest psychedelic albums ever released.
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea is the second and final studio album by American band Neutral Milk Hotel, released on February 10, 1998, by Merge Records. The album is predominantly indie rock and psychedelic folk and is characterized by an intentionally low-quality sound. Traditional indie rock instruments like the guitar and drums are paired with less conventional instruments like the singing saw and uilleann pipes. The lyrics are surrealistic and opaque, exploring themes that range from nostalgia to love. An important influence for the album was The Diary of a Young Girl, a book of writings from the diary of Anne Frank.
The Warlocks are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1998 by the guitarist/singer Bobby Hecksher. The band's music has ranged from psychedelic rock to drone music. There have been many changes in personnel since its formation, with Hecksher the only constant member.
Arctic Monkeys are an English rock band formed in Sheffield on 14 August 2002. The group consists of lead singer Alex Turner, drummer Matt Helders, guitarist Jamie Cook and bassist Nick O'Malley. Former bassist Andy Nicholson left the band in 2006 shortly after their debut album, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, was released.
Funk rock is a fusion genre that mixes elements of funk and rock. James Brown and others declared that Little Richard and his mid-1950s road band, the Upsetters, were the first to put the funk in the rock and roll beat, with a biographer stating that their music "spark[ed] the musical transition from fifties rock and roll to sixties funk".
Through the Wilderness is a tribute album with contributions from a variety of artists dedicated to American singer Madonna. It was released on November 27, 2007, by Los Angeles-based Manimal Vinyl Records. According to label head Paul Beahan, the idea for the album was conceived by him in a dream. He enlisted multiple artists to work on the project, including Giant Drag, Lavender Diamond, Winter Flowers and Chapin Sisters. Although he's not a fan of Madonna, Beahan wanted to see how her songs would sound when covered by different musicians.
Manimal Vinyl is a Los Angeles–based record label founded in 2006 by film/TV producer, composer and former fashion editor Paul Gebser-Beahan.
Lewis & Clarke is the pen name of American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and composer Lou Rogai. The name references the fellowship and correspondence between C. S. Lewis and Arthur C. Clarke, not the 19th-century explorers. He has released three studio albums, Bare Bones and Branches, Blasts of Holy Birth, and Triumvirate, as well as several singles and EPs. The moniker is also a metaphor for journey on many levels and the music has been described as art-pop or avant-folk. Rogai is the founder of La Société Expéditionnaire, a record label dedicated to creating "beautiful sounding records and tangible musical artifacts".
Primary Colours is the second studio album by English rock band The Horrors. It was released in the US on 21 April 2009, and in the UK on 4 May 2009 by XL Recordings.
Warpaint is an American indie rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2004. The band consists of Emily Kokal, Theresa Wayman, Jenny Lee Lindberg, and Stella Mozgawa (drums).
Luxxury, formerly known as Baron von Luxxury, is an American producer, songwriter, DJ and artist. His best known songs include "Be Good 2 Me", "Feels So Good", "Breathe (Again)" and "Feel The Night"; earlier songs include "Drunk", which was used in commercials for Pontiac; "Sweet and Vicious", which was used on The Hills; and "I Know There's Something Going On", a cover of a song by Anni-Frid Lyngstad from ABBA. In addition to being the sole songwriter and producer for that band, he is a touring DJ as well as being an in-demand producer, remixer and songwriter formerly under contract with Razor and Tie Music Publishing for whom he has cowritten songs for artists including Vanessa Daou and Little Boots, as well as the song "If That's Love", which was featured on the CSI: Miami episode, "Show Stopper". He was also a co-founder of the now defunct MP3 blog Disco Workout. Luxxury's 2012 full-length album "The Last Seduction" was released on Manimal Vinyl and featured songs about his friends Theresa Duncan and Jeremy Blake. The album received strong reviews and made it to several "best of 2012" lists, including that of Duran Duran's John Taylor.
Girls was an American indie rock band, formed in San Francisco in 2007. The band comprised two key members: Christopher Owens, songwriter and lead singer, and Chet "JR" White, who played bass and produced. Girls' sound was heavily inspired by the music of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, with their sound being described as lo-fi, surf rock, rock and roll, psychedelic rock, pop rock, country rock, and garage rock.
Juliette Commagere is a Los Angeles–based singer-songwriter who was formerly the lead singer and keytar player of the band Hello Stranger. In 2008 she began a solo career with the release of Queens Die Proudly.
Esben and the Witch are a British three piece rock band formed in Brighton in 2008. consisting of Rachel Davies, Thomas Fisher (guitar), and Daniel Copeman. Their name comes from the Danish fairytale, "Esben and the Witch".
Pond is an Australian psychedelic rock band from Perth, Western Australia, formed in 2008. Initially featuring a revolving line-up, since 2016 the band has consisted of Nick Allbrook, Jay Watson, Shiny Joe Ryan, Jamie Terry, and James Ireland.
Wash the Sins Not Only the Face is the second studio album by British rock band Esben and the Witch released on 21 January 2013. A deluxe version of the album was also released, which features the LP and CD version of the album and a bonus 7". The lyrics seem to be a semi-concept album as it is meant to be a journey with each song representing different parts of that journey.
Girls Names was a band from Belfast, Northern Ireland, formed in 2009 by Cathal Cully and Neil Brogan. Before they disbanded in 2019, the released four albums—Dead To Me, The New Life, Arms Around a Vision, and Stains on Silence—as well as several EPs, singles, and split singles.
Heliotropes were a psychedelic/alternative rock band from Brooklyn, New York, consisting of Nya Abudu (bass), Cici Harrison (drums), Amber Myers and Jessica Numsuwankijkul. They formed in 2009 when Numsuwankijkul posted an advert on Craigslist to form a band. She was joined by Amber Myers, Cici Harrison, and Nya Abudu later joined the band.
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard (KGLW) are an Australian rock band formed in 2010 in Melbourne, Victoria. The band's current lineup consists of Stu Mackenzie, Ambrose Kenny-Smith, Cook Craig, Joey Walker, Lucas Harwood, and Michael Cavanagh. They are known for exploring multiple genres, staging energetic live shows, and building a prolific discography.
Float Along – Fill Your Lungs is the third studio album by Australian psychedelic rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, released months after their second album, Eyes Like the Sky. It was released on 27 September 2013 on Flightless Records and was re-released on vinyl in November 2018 by Flightless and ATO Records. The re-release peaked at No. 12 on the ARIA Albums Chart. The album was a change in style for the band, with the album being more psychedelic than their previous releases.