Sea of Green

Time to Fly (TMC)
by Brian Varney

No time-wasters, these guys. But then again, what else is there to do when you live in Canada? Seemingly right on the heels of last year’s Northern Lights EP, Time to Fly is Sea of Green‘s first full-length.

Though they utilize producer Nick Blagona again, the first thing you’ll notice about Time to Fly is how much heavier it sounds than Northern Lights. The recording itself is much fuller and warmer-sounding, but the riffs themselves have a lot more heft this time around, too. That’s not to say the music is heavier. It tries to be, but Sea of Green only has one guitarist. The single guitar thing usually only really works in a hard/heavy rock context if the band has a great guitarist (Spirit Caravan is a good example) or an exceptional rhythm section (The Who). Unfortunately, Sea of Green has neither. The single-guitar limitation was not so apparent last time, but as they’ve tried to step up into heavier territory, it becomes much more of a liability.

At first, as I said, I was pleasantly surprised by the band’s productivity. After a few listens, though, I’m starting to think they should’ve taken their time a bit more. While the EP had several decent songs and one stunner, Time to Fly really lacks in the tune department. Nothing much has changed in the way they play or put songs together, but none of them stick to the brain. I’ve played the album about four times now and I only remember the parts I don’t like.

Simply put, these guys are not a heavy band, try though they may to be one. I liked the airy, psychedelic sound they had on the EP. By trying to fatten the sound, they’ve made a record that’s less unique and not as good. A step in the wrong direction.
(PO Box 629 Port Washington, NY 11050)