Paul Cogley - The Silent Sea
The Silent Sea is an eight-track album of carefully and meticulously created songs. Paul Cogley immaculately creates a soundscape that is unique and new. With songs that are only longer than four minutes long, this album reminds me again of how much I missed longer songs. Most of the tracks have their sound established well and surely, until they begin to say what they want. There is a certain kind of nostalgia to every song in this album. The first track, Lies, scratches that particular itch with a sci-fi Wild West sound. With the different synths, it juxtaposes two seemingly different music tropes into one. I could definitely imagine a ride off into the desert sunset, only dust left behind. The track was immediately my favourite and this was only the first of eight. When a very electronic pinging synth started to play as Searching for Signals started, I knew the sci-fi theme was here to stay. The sound has turned broody now. Like it's post the sunset, and the night brings an air of melancholy. The singing beautifully complements the airy melody. I would love to listen to this while staring at the moon on a night drive. Lost at Sea is the first full instrumental track of the album. Echoey sounds move into a deep, reverberating bass that is followed by synth melodies that stand out. The two synths that are at the forefront seem like they're dancing around each other. Never meeting, like the like poles of a magnet. The synths are very alien-sounding against the earthy drums, creating an interesting contrast. The Eye I Eyed is the first track off the album where the lyrics start earlier than the rest of the songs. This song is the most interesting song off the album, like a musical spoken word. It seems like a meditative experience, an exploration of the things that make us human. To me, the contradictory words that are narrated seem like the things that make this life both difficult and beautiful. The Dream of White Horses is as grounded as it is enchanting. With something like a bongo drum and other tropical musical instruments, it is beautifully dreamy, as the title promises. Analog Child is a mysterious and ethereal instrumental that brings back the sci-fi sound with the synths. Time to Go is a feel-good R&B track, complete with the sound byte of a crowded space of people in the beginning of the song. And finally the album ends with Moments, a poignant instrumental, soothing but thought-provoking. The melodic progressions seem inquisitive and pleasant, like the soft and innocent curiosity of a child. The Silent Sea is a body of work that is both thrilling and soothing. Paul Cogley has meticulously crafted a project that I think will remain in my memory forever.
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