THE SOUND OF A GALAXY SMASHING

UK project WHITEWATER was formed by Stuart Stephens and Paul Powell in 2013, following the conclusion of a cover band project they both were involved in. Stephens is the main composer of the band, and it was due to him needing a helping musical hand with his material that Whitewater was born. "The Sound of a Galaxy Smashing" is their debut album, and was self-released in 2013.

It would appear that the musical landscape explored by this project can be more or less described as a simplistic take on the more atmospheric side of Pink Floyd, possibly with some psychedelic rock details adding additional flavor to the proceedings. As far as progressive rock is concerned this is a production that relies totally on moods and atmospheres, those with an eager interest in experiencing musicians flaunting their technical abilities will have to look elsewhere. Much the same can be said about those that favor structurally challenging compositions, as the songs on this production are fairly predictable in nature as far as this aspect is concerned, and not all that advanced in the structural department as such really.

Whitewater tends to operate with a set number of different arrangements on this production. The greater majority revolves around frail, slow paced resonating guitar motifs, with or without drums supporting, and with a second plucked guitar motif or a guitar solo added on top when vocals aren't present. The main alternative are plucked guitars combined with hovering, smooth keyboards, and to a lesser degree we're also treated to harder edged guitar riff driven constructions and atmospheric laden, cinematic sequences, sometimes with more of a cosmic quality to them.

The main challenge when opting to explore material of this kind is to be able to create sounds interesting enough and compelling enough for the listener to continue listening. To be able to construct a stunning atmosphere, a truly strong performance that intrigue just as much on a technical level as the atmospheric one, or to be able to produce the music well enough for the audiophiles to become fascinated by the sheer audio quality. Unfortunately I don't think Whitewater manage to succeed on any of these levels.

I find the themes and motifs fairly pedestrian in nature. Pleasant enough, and with a certain beauty to them, but lacking in nerve, contrast and otherwise any details that makes them something truly special. The performance is adequate enough, but again without any bells and whistles that creates within me that urge or desire to stop and listen again. Adequate is probably a key word here. Still a pleasant enough production as far as the compositions and the performance part of it goes.

Mix and production is another chapter entirely however, and I'm afraid that this is in a negative understanding too. Lo-fi is a word that comes to mind, demo quality another. The drums are loud and often the sound of them breaks. The vocals sound like they were recorded in a big empty room, adding a cold echo effect that won't be to everybody's taste. And in the instances where guitar riffs are applied, they drown out the vocals almost entirely. I'm afraid that my perception of the mix and production of this album is one that concludes with the word inadequate, and for me and my experience as a listener and reviewer this aspect is seriously detrimental for the total and overall experience of this album.

From how I know musicians, the guys behind this project have invested a lot of heart and soul into this production. So I apologize for being relatively blunt and bluntly honest in my assessment, as I know that most creators of music will hurt emotionally to a lesser or greater degree when someone describes their art in such a manner.

As far as a recommended audience goes, a prerequisite to be able to enjoy this production is that you're accustomed to and generally tends to enjoy productions of a lo-fi mix and production quality. Those who found demo tapes to be more honest and interesting than label releases back in the 1980's an example af a perfect crowd for this album. If you have recognize yourself in such a description, and also tend to enjoy atmospheric laden, relatively uncomplicated music that appears to orient itself towards the most atmospheric material from bands Pink Floyd in terms of general style, then this album is one that merits a check. Especially if you also favor music with a subtle psychedelic coating.