Melancholia – The Sea At Midnight (reviewed by Dave Franklin)

I think that the art of writing a successful song is being able to marry up the lyrical message with the sonic vibe of the music. So many artists don’t get such a simple and obvious idea delivering lyrics and music which feel as if they are just temporary travelling companions making the best of the situation before heading off in search of a more suitable partner.

Melancholia is pretty much a master class in such sonic synchronicity bit that comes as no surprise as The Sea at Midnight has a solid track record of delivering such seductive packages. Even without the lyrical component, the music itself – the bass pulses and brooding beats, the shards of chiming guitars and spacious atmospheres which accumulate in between – sets the perfect tone. Dark, drifting and delicious, poignant and perfect for the reflective and raw words which ebb and flow above them.

And with a video which is similarly crafted from a stark, monochromatic beauty, Melancholia is the fantastic slice of sound and vision, sonics and sentiment all working in harmony.