Tidal Sound arrives has if in a rush of thought, of inspiration, of emotion. This trio, friends at Michigan’s Interlochen Arts Academy, create as if utterly compelled to do so. That plays out in the rough-hewn vocal interplay of “Bucket.” and the splash of Americana pluckings of “Fidelity Melody” — giving Tidal Sound an intriguing, fresh-faced dynamism.
The truth is, Casey Batterbee, Kenneth Fox and Brennan Leeds created their initial music together in a torrent — writing 25 songs in the trio’s first four months together. Tidal Sound features 10 of them, presented in a fascinatingly raw, ever-more-involving manner.
The quick line would be that Blue Eyed Sun is all over the place. But in the very best of ways: With songs like “Given Name,” Blue Eyed Sun descends into an emotional free-fall only to quickly gather itself for “Johnny Boy,” creating a narrative of stirring specificity. They unleash a tough little groove on “Make Friends,” while “Mountains” trundles along as if in a state of endless reverie. Blue Eyed Sun is just as capable of angular fusion on “Please,” as it is a pastoral rumination (the title track).
Every step of the way, Blue Eyed Sun sounds completely, blissfully, in the moment — and you’re right there with them.
[amazon_enhanced asin=”B00C44PEDI” container=”” container_class=”” price=”All” background_color=”FFFFFF” link_color=”000000″ text_color=”0000FF” /]
- Nick DeRiso’s Best of 2015 (Rock + Pop): Death Cab for Cutie, Joe Jackson, Toto + Others - January 18, 2016
- Nick DeRiso’s Best of 2015 (Blues, Jazz + R&B): Boz Scaggs, Gavin Harrison, Alabama Shakes - January 10, 2016
- Nick DeRiso’s Best of 2015 (Reissues + Live): John Oates, Led Zeppelin, Yes, Faces + others - January 7, 2016
