Seafood - Surviving The Quiet

  by Peter Liddle

published: 17 / 12 / 2001

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Review

"I hope your wretched town will fall" declares Seafood's front man David Line while collapsing onto the floor and screaming into the microphone as both a crazy light show with plenty of smoke and anarchic sonic chaos from the rest of the band signals the end of their set. The lights go off, the smoke disperses, and magically most of Seafood are at the bar - an appropriate example of how they can change their mood and situation as quick as a wink. "Surviving the Quiet", the debut album from the band, has been compared to Sonic Youth's "Dirty" and has, therefore, been branded by some critics as experimental rock, while others have seen it as almost as a homage to American alternative rock. While both thoughts are to some extent true, Seafood have more emotion and melody than many of the other bands in these two genres The album opens with "Guntrip", a fast-paced, heavy distortion-laden guitar thrashing wonder of a song. The next track, "Easy Path", however,in complete contrast is melodic, soft and beautiful. Even more surprising still is the use of pedal steel guitar on two of the tracks. "Dear Leap the Ride", which, as well as featuring the pedal steel guitar, also has, without compromising the richness and conviction of the sound, acoustic country style rhythms. The six minute "Toggle", however, combines quiet passages with intense, thrashing sections. From the soothing sounding end of "Led by Bison" in which David sings "Everything is going to be alright" until we are forced to believe him, to the slightly scary sound of "I can't help it, I'm on a guntrip" from "Guntrip" - the album is a intense mixture of emotions, all of which fit the music well. David also has the talent and ability to produce scream-singing unlike any other person - it's not harsh, metal rock screaming, and it's not like anything else for that matter. You can't hear what he's saying, but the conviction of his wailing and broken voice gives it a sense of deliberate madness. All the other members of Seafood are strong and talented musicians, and the music is tight and controlled at all times. Despite the chaotic nature of much of their material, their sound is in fact very well organised, and the whole of 'Surviving the Quiet' is a testament to all their musical abilities. Seafood are a group who know where they want to be, and seem like a band who believe in what they do. The album on the whole is intense, emotional and smart, at the same time keeping its ability to rock the pants off anyone. With this LP being the first full length album to be released on the Fierce Panda label, and their recent tours emphasising their ability to recreate the complexity of their music on stage,the hype surrounding Seafood is not unfounded

Track Listing:-

1 Guntrip
2 Easypath
3 Belt
4 Dear Leap Theride
5 This Is An Exit
6 Led By Bison
7 Toggle
8 Beware Design
9 Folk Song Crisis
10 Fsc11/ The Quiet