"Sea When Absent" Review

Nearly all truly exceptional music that I hear, whether it be live or recorded, brings on a certain awe inspiring after-effect that can only be described through physical phenomena. As my ears ring from a deathly sudden silence, an unshakeable smirk takes shape, my eyes fixated on whatever may happen to be in front of me at that moment. In this state of ecstasy, I can feel new neural pathways form, goosebumps rise up an down my arms, and the weight of the world diminish. Any of my friends who have accompanied me to concerts can verify that I do, in fact, experience exactly what I am describing right now. I tend to dedicate a few minutes, as we file out of the venue, to repeating the mantras "whaaaaaaaat?" or "that was nuts" over and over again, unable to fully comprehend everything that has just transpired. The best music can never be summarized, debriefed, or dissected immediately after listening. The best music always leaves you speechless.

There is no appropriate place to stop A Sunny Day In Glasgow's newest release, Sea When Absent. Find a comfy couch or a hammock, because bringing yourself to stop this trip once it begins would require superhuman self-control. Finding a break in the action may be nearly impossible, but luckily you'll never catch yourself searching for one. Smatterings of synth-pop and waves of new psychedelia (the best since Tame Imapala's 2012 masterpiece, Lonerism) will wash over you from beginning to end. In a world that has slowly and sneakily become overridden by fluttery dream pop bands that prefer to operate in the ether, A Sunny Day In Glasgow chooses to fire off a canon right by your ear drums. From the very first thrilling second of "Bye Bye, Big Ocean (The End)," ASDIG pull you in with no intention of letting go. In short, it's one hell of a thrill ride.

This is also a headphones album. I repeat, shouting into my megaphone of music snobbery: "THIS IS A HEADPHONES ALBUM." Sea When Absent is pain-stakingly arranged, and the more of it you are able to hear, the more of it you will enjoy. Jeff Zeigler, who was also co-producer of Lost in the Dream by The War On Drugs (this year's other enchanting indie offering from Philadelphia), mixes this record to perfection, as rotating vocals ("Crushin'") and honey sweet guitar licks ("The Things They Do To Me") collide and bounce off of each other into a million separate directions. Detractors will say this album is too easy, for it supplies catchy hook after catchy hook. What naysayers will forget to mention is that each individual song on Sea When Absent contributes not one, but a full cache of pleasing melodies. For instance, "The Body, It Bends" naturally switches from a triumphant horn line to a sweeping guitar solo without a moment's notice. Every song on this album morphs and evolves naturally, as satisfying hooks beget more satisfying hooks. And even if ASDIG are a bit of a high-flying bunch, they never drift off course, for everything is anchored in a powerful rhythm section. Besides simply playing their parts well, Ryan Newmyer (bass) and Adam Herndon (drums) also provide their own fireworks (see the slippery bass line on "MTLOV (Minor Keys)," the percussion sampler that is "In Love With Useless").

With the entire band scattered all over the globe, it is amazing that ASDIG have accomplished anything at all here. The six members of the current lineup (songwriter/guitarist Ben Daniels, vocalist Jen Goma, and multi-insturmentalists Josh Meakim and Annie Fredrickson round out the bunch) never came together as a complete whole at any point throughout the recording process, with at least one person being absent at any given session. Even that knowledge seems to reinforce the beauty of Sea When Absent, as if its some sort of grand experiment, a group of artists attempting to create something together despite being thousands of miles apart. At this point, I have to admit that while I try to thoroughly research every group or musician I review, my knowledge of A Sunny Day In Glasgow is fairly limited. I saw this album streaming for free (via Pitchfork Advance), went for it, and am so glad I did. While I cannot wait to delve into the rest of their material and see what they will do next, none of that matters right now. Right now, all I want to do is lay back and have my mind blown again.