THE LIGHT IN THE OCEAN

The Light in the Ocean is a Minneapolis-based quartet with a penchant for sea life. Both this record and their prolix 2020 album?The Pseudo-Scientific Study of Oceanic Neo-Cryptid Zoology?have featured cephalopods on the album art; and their 2019 debut heavily focused on seafaring. I wouldn't have expected such themes from a band based in a landlocked state. (Then again, many a Hawkwind song is about space, yet they live on Earth.)

The music on Deep Reef Dream feels like a logical next step in their sound, based on what I heard on their last album. This release has more heavy moments than its predecessor, and the band has fully integrated both violin and trumpet into their songwriting. The music remains both complex and accessible, though. The album is also much less lyrically-focused, with six of the nine songs being instrumental.

One of the three songs with lyrics kicks things off. "Things Inside" opens with a heavily-phased guitar line that is gentle and subtly jazzy. The vocal melody is immediately engaging, and the hook in the chorus is incredibly infectious. Combined with this big, catchy refrain are walls of crushing distortion that add a lot of grandiosity. This mixture of metallic riffs and intelligent melodies reminds me a lot of some of Devin Townsend's best work. This song's midsection features some quiet and dark instrumental interplay, with slight electronic influences in the percussion.

Following that banger of an opening track, the band launches into a series of instrumental cuts. First among these is "Parthenon", which prominently features piano, violin, and crashing, metallic percussion. It's dramatic and tense, and this piece flies by.

"Tijuana Sunset" has an energetic, racing first moments. Propulsive-yet-restrained drumming pushes this along as synthesizers growl and violins swell. The eventual main theme which bursts forth is a Mexican-flavored trumpet line that certainly evokes the title's imagery. The guitar stays in the background at first, but its jittery strumming is an excellent element. There is eventually a flashy, Lifesonesque solo that acts as a strong bridge between repetitions of the main motif. "Smee", meanwhile, is an atmospheric palette cleanser featuring broad distant wordless vocals and mellow guitar chords.

The next track with lyrics is "Psyclops". (Great title, by the way!) The opening riff is slow and plodding, and the long enunciation on the stressed syllables adds to the song's weight. As the song progresses, there is a sense of rising through immense pressure, only to be beaten back down by the heavy guitar parts. There is another strong hook here, though it's not quite the brainworm that "Things Inside"'s chorus is. What this song does have, though, is a top-notch violin solo which is dynamic, dramatic, and surprising.

Following the brief piano interlude "Underwater Cigarettes" is the Deep Reef Dream's title track. This song's opening is somewhat electronic with its beat and simple piano chords. When the rest of the band joins in, there's a light, tropical feel to the music. The song gradually builds in intensity, and despite this piece's (relative) length and structural simplicity, it manages to maintain engaging. Another short piece, "Mr. Pippy", follows this. It's a smooth, mellow scene-setter for Deep Reef Dream's finale.

"Big Beef" is the album's longest song, and it explodes from the get-go with a thrash metal riff. The vocal melody is similar to that of "Things Inside", acting as something of a bookend. The drumming on this track is especially impressive, full of tight, technical fills. The song swells with grandeur, and the vocal arrangements add great depth. As the song progresses, violins and saxophone herald a slower, spacier passage. Toms and hand percussion keep the song grounded, though, as it slowly dissolves.

Deep Reef Dream is a very fun record that balances big, melodic hooks alongside odder instrumental excursions. The addition of violin and trumpet to the band's sound has been a massive boon; those instruments add a new layer of depth that feels completely natural. There's a little bit of something for everybody on this record, and it gels in an amazingly cohesive way.

Review originally posted here: theeliteextremophile.com/2022/08/22/album-review-the-light-in-the-ocean-deep-reef-dream/

(Originally reviewed at millstreampark.com)

Sometimes an album cover is that good.

No kidding though. There I was, perusing the usual music blogs and video channels, in search of new music. And all it took was one glance at the cover to Deep Reef Dream, the third album from Minneapolis prog rock quartet The Light In The Ocean. They captured my attention. Enough for me to listen to a few tracks, ultimately purchasing the album on Bandcamp.

Sometimes a rock solid Johnny Quest vibe is all it takes?

I've yet listened to the band's earlier output, but if Deep Reef Dream is any indication a deep dive might be in order. This is a 1960s Gold Key Russ Manning comic transmogrified into musical form, a maniacal Hannah-Barbera adventure distilled through the articulated lenses of a Michael Bay/Wes Anderson Brundlefly.

Which is all well and good (and a mite overly-descriptive) but how's the damn music Mills? I'd rate it as enjoyable as all hell, a heady mixture combining the anthemic fun and guitar-driven crunch of hard rock but layered with sweet vocal harmonies and the layers, textures, and escapism you expect in prog. It's a heady mixture, and it works.

Take Things Inside, the opening track, in which jangly, chimey guitars introduce you to dueling vocal lines, punctuated by metal distortion between verses. Even the breakdown is accentuated with tasty trumpet lines, before erupting back into that thick rock thunderstorm. The alternating vocals on the chorus, combined with the comical exclamations between lines ("That's crazy!") drive home the song's motif, "the things I hear inside my head". It's a fantastic opener, a declaration of ethos that convincingly preps you for the spirit of this album.

Almost like a tonic, Parthenon is both a jaunty and atmospheric piece, a spirited instrumental number driven by strings and piano at first, almost like a waltz. Except the time signature is wholly other. By the time the violin takes forefront, the aforementioned jauntiness becomes a bit darker and more menacing. It's an engaging song but it's a bit emotionally discordant; it leaps around with gleeful abandon before coming in for a quick, soft landing. I would love to hear this track further developed into a longer suite.

Not to be outdone, Tijuana Sunset comes in as the second of three instrumentals in a row. It wastes no time establishing tone; a menacing keyboard drone hangs ominously over a pulsing drum beat, erupting into an up-tempo barnstormer and settling into a horn-driven central melody. I hear this and immediately envision The Big Chase Scene, perhaps a submarine race scored by Mark Mothersbaugh and Sergio Leone. Or something. There's a distinct 80s feel to the guitars, both in tone and musicality, a wink and a nod to neo-prog of the era.

We take a quick breather with Smee, a gentle but atmospheric instrumental. The soft opening evokes lifeless waves crashing over a nighttime ocean, broken up by some rather disturbing howls coming over the horizon. There's an engaging vibe to this maritime haunt but it ends as quickly as it begins as we transition into Psyclops, the second vocal number on the album.

In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king; here the Psyclops is obsessed with pollution, poisons, chemicals and residuals. Thee grunge/post-grunge elements at play are both compelling and effective, and the entire song succeeds at being purposefully odd and off-putting. The violin solo provides an unexpected emotional heft to the entire affair, which leads us (and the song) into a cacophonous uproar. Rage or destruction, perhaps? Who is to say?

Underwater Cigarettes is the first of three more instrumentals. This one is a brief sojourn, underneath a minute long. A descending (yet peppy) keyboard line, replete with air bubbles, evokes our entry into this musical bathysphere and descent into the deep. This drives us directly into the title track Deep Reef Dream, in which a sequenced drum pattern and some guitar and keyboard noodling (along with a nebulous PA announcer) welcomes us aboard.

Where are we exactly? The lobby to an underwater hotel? A cruise ship housed in a nuclear sub? Your guess is as good as mine. I'd like to think of the song as the spa music in some supervillain's secret underground lair, or what you might hear at the jazz bar in a "lost" oceanic city. At first, anyhow. I think the song falters a bit when it pivots to a central riff towards the end, but it still kept me engaged throughout.

Mr. Pippy is not what I thought it was going to be about, and thank Poseidon for that. Instead this instrumental is a short, rather introspective interlude. The guitar tones are clean and bright, the keyboard lines thick and moody under the surface. Overall it's a moderate piece, like the sustain of a whale song coursing through the oceans, but it doesn't last long enough to leave much impression.

The vocals return for the album's final piece, the eight minute/thirty second monster epic Big Beef. I am avoiding the Big Beef/Mr. Pippy analysis because avoiding Freudian implications keeps blog advertisers happy. Of which I have none. Anyway, Big Beef is a great big freakin' octopus, presumably the Technicolor monstrosity on the album cover, and he's doing what great big freakin' octopi do, which is declare war on humanity.

Can you blame him?

Big Beef is a your great big freakin' epic rocker, utterly ridiculous and equally charming all at once. The lyrics are silly as all hell but sung with perfect earnestness. Whether we are on a deep cave dive and wrapped up in tentacles, or washed up on the shore wrapped in seaweed, or witnessing a strange octopus-like silhouette is haunting the ocean by moonlight, we are in pure widescreen mode.

Make no mistake this is pure 50s monster movie imagery, brought to life with tolling bells, surf guitar riffs, thickly distorted power chords, howling horns and wailing saxes. The middle breakdown ebbs and flows like waves left in the monster's wake. While Big Beef is probably my least favorite of the three vocal numbers, it remains effective and entertaining enough to act as a proper album closer.

Overall I enjoyed the musical adventure that Deep Reef Dream provided. Dismissing it as "over-the-top" is missing the point; this is a delightful and engaging rock/prog musical romp, where the hooks, melody, and crunch of hard rock meet prog's more complex and diverse compositional explorations. All the while invoking killer octopi, oceanic lairs, chemical monsters, pirates, and jazz bars in Atlantis. Even if the album does meander at times, Deep Reef Dream remains musically daring whilst also an anthemic hard rock sojourn.

One of the more intriguing and enjoyable new bands of the last decade, these Minnesotans are just releasing their third album.

1. "Things Inside" (5:32) I just love the melodic sensibilities of these songwriters/performers. The bass sound is primo/number one as are the guitarist's creative chord-play. The vocals and lyrics are a bit mundane and the music spans an odd spectrum from pop jazzy to 1980s heavy metal (when the vocalist sounds like Sammy Hagar). (8.75/10)

2. "Parthenon" (3:26) a snappy, melodic, prog instrumental. Nice to hear such multi-layered structure with a central contribution of violin. A top three song for me. (8.75/10)

3. "Tijuana Sunset" (3:56) if Jean-Luc Ponty and Rush were to have collaborated with Herb Alpert. Hard-drivin' jazz- rock fusion. Nice axe solo in the third minute. In the end, a little too jam-formatted. Still loving this bass! (8.75/10)

4. "Smee" (2:10) nice atmospheric soundtrack music. Love the submersive bass and airy vocalise. (4.5/5)

5. "Psyclops" (5:01) a walk on the band's heavier side. Nice composition with fair vocals and lyrical message--and that gets better as the song progresses (despite sounding a bit 1980s-familiar in the instrumental fourth and fifth minutes). Impressive drumming. Violin is back with a great solo in the third minute. Heavy prog is really much better with violins. (8.75/10)

6. "Underwater Cigarettes" (0:54) familiar piano motif with multiple effects. (4.25/5)

7. "Deep Reef Dream" (5:53) opens like MAROON FIVE's "Sunday Morning" before turning trip-hop smooth jazzy. Very pretty, melodic, and chill. Nicely layered and developed instrumental. One of my top three songs. (8.75/10)

8. "Mr. Pippy" (1:54) carnival sounds turn to BLUE NILE-like late-night stargazer. Again, welcome sound contribution of the violin. (4.75/5)

9. "Big Beef" (8:32) opens like a bit of a Mexican metal band (CAST) before moving into territory that is more akin to a cross between PAIN OF SALVATION, DEF LEPPARD, and TOTO. This is where plastic-skinned drums show their weakness. In the third minute the music moves more into the atmospheric realms of Prog Metal before returning to the main motif--this time adding violin to the weave. The instrumental passage in the sixth-through-ninth minutes (the second half of the song) is very pleasing--almost hypnotic in a MOTORPSYCHO Death-Defying Unicorn-kind of way. (Love the reverbed trumpet!) What started out as a suspiciously generic metal song turned into something quite good. An excellent way to end an album! (18/20)

Total time: 37:18

I do love the sounds and stylings chosen by bass player Chris Lyons as well as the lushly melodic song structures created by the band as a whole. These boys are, in my opinion, gifted. Unfortunately, none of the music here is really ground-breaking and a lot of it feels rushed, as if the band could have developed these B-plus-grade songs into A-levels had they really put in the extra time and effort. While I thoroughly enjoy this album, it is, unfortunately, a little bit of a let down after the band's superlative 2020 release, The Pseudo-Scientific Study of Oceanic Neo- Cryptid Zoology.

B+/4.5 stars; an excellent addition to any prog lover's music collection.

Thoughtful appealing melodies and gentle sound. This is the sophomore album from a band coming out of the US/Minneapolis region. Their debut back in 2019 still was recorded by a four-piece line up. But on this occasion the term band must be relativated, as the core is reduced to multi-instrumentalists Jared Emery and Jacob Ewert. Nearly everthing is written, performed, and recorded by them both. By the way, before discovering THE LIGHT IN THE OCEAN they already have recorded music together under the moniker TOM'S HANK. With more focus on the instrumental execution on this occasion the sound is already offered with a distinctive design, it's definitely worth a try too. Now returning back to 2020, what I'm really fond of the provided variety in style and mood. A step forward, quite a sensation.

Where you certainly can recognize that they are from the States, occasionally I also hear some similarities to Umphrey's McGee. Exemplarily to notice during the extended closing track Hamilton Big Boys which also showcases some violin support by Stephen Decker. The album title, okay, some humour or pun intended? I suspect yet they are bashing a somewhat pseudo-intellectual pretension, elevatedness, we actually are faced with here and there. Concerning the production everything is balanced. Singing voices and technical skills are top notch. The charming relaxed Beat Thief is starting with a looping behaviour, plus external narrative voice support contributed by Michelle Zeto and Rusty Detty.

And then I'm especially stoked about the short super hit Coffee Stains, catchy melody, melancholic guitars, punching bass, simply perfect! Increasing enthusiasm with every new listening session. You can count on me as a new fan. Very inspired compositions, nifty regarding mood and execution, close to a masterpiece. Concerning both masterminds a lot of talent is available here. THE LIGHT IN THE OCEAN have released one new single track in 2021 so far. Hopefully there is coming more soon, and they will be able to keep the level high in that way.

Oh man-oh man have you prog lovers have got to hear this! Brilliant music with drop dead gorgeous yet heavily experimentally treated sounds doing a kind of tongue-in-cheek atmospheric sci-fi soundtrack.

1. "33-55-77" (3:49) opens with an awesome sound palette before kicking into structured heavy-rock voice-support. I'm reminded of both THE MERCURY TREE and MAUDLIN OF THE WELL. Another shift at 2:31 into MoTW with delicate microtonals. Dynamic, pitch-shifting electric guitar solo ensues over the top till end. Awesome start! (9.5/10)

2. "Beat Thief" (6:42) another great opening! Man these guys can play! Then sci-fi/spy dialogue between female and male agents over the top of some nicely woven support music. In the third minute the weave explores more of the treated piano capacities before everything slows down and "gets pretty." Interesting and very engaging spacious chord play between guitars, piano, bass, and drums ensues as the weave slowly rebuilds and picks up speed and momentum. I love this music! I'm sold! (9.5/10)

3. "Coffee Stains" (3:31) drums (hi-hat cymbal play) and deeply thrumming bass chords open this before guitars and voice join in. Not the greatest voice (or mix of the vocal track), but great atmospheric music. The bass replicating the main melody is killer! (9/10)

4. "HM&MLPHBWA" (3:01) almost too pretty of an opening for heavy or eclectic prog, the doubled up vocals are interesting. There's a cool UNAKA PRONG feel and sound here. Doubled up aggressive microtonal guitars (two tracks delivered to the two sides of my headphones) are cool. Then back the dreamy stuff for the end. (8.75/10)

5. "Biehn's Theme" (3:03) starts out rather standard modern metal fare but then adds a few interesting sounds and twists. (8.5/10)

6. "Memories Intact" (4:10) nice atmospheric sound palette for a fast-paced song. Then cover it with melodic, almost-poppy vocals and you have some nice ear candy. Bands like FROST*, INDUKTI, and KINO come to mind. (9/10)

7. "Sentimental Astronaut" (3:56) more great guitar chords/arpeggi with synth washes and deep-thrum bass notes and chords opens this one. Sounds a lot like PLINI, PAUL SPEER or MAUDLIN OF THE WELL. A very cool, engaging theme that is, in my opinion, only partially developed. (8.75/10)

8. "Hamilton Big Boys" (10:40) opens with a piano, violin and choral voice fabric while interesting DAIMON WAITKUS- like vocal sings over the top. At 2:10 things slow down and jazz-up a bit in a long bridge to a more electronic recapitulation of the main themes. Electric guitar and violin now compete for the melody carrier with the piano. At 4:33 there is a major shift into more PREFAB SPROUT territory--until the power chords and screaming metal vocals enter, that is. Cool instrumental passage in the sixth minute in support of the soloing violin, but then things amp back up again at the seven-minute mark for the strong PINK FAIRIES-like chorus. At 8:10 we come down again to a variation on the opening theme with arpeggios coming from picked guitar instead of piano while lead electric guitar wails away in the background. This last for the rest of the song as the music slowly fades over the final minute. Great song! (18.75/20)

Total Time 38:52

A very impressive album that captures some totally fresh sounds and variations on older styles. Definitely one to check out for yourselves--and a band (duo) that I'm going to keep an eye on! Kudos, Jared and Jacob! You've got a winning approach! I hope you can keep it going!

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of eclectic and innovative progressive rock music.

"The Light in the Ocean" is the name of a new band that formed in 2018 and have released their debut album of the same name in August of 2019. The band is made up of two members of another Eclectic Prog band called "Tom's Hank"; Jared Emery (guitars, sax, vocals) and Jacob Ewert (drums, keys, vocals) who have teamed with Travis Freudenberg (bass, growls) and Chris Johnson (electric guitar). They are helped out on a few tracks by some guests providing vocals and harmonies, trumpet and some growling vocals. The album consists of 12 tracks which range from 2 minutes to 10 minutes, for a total run-time of 65 miutes.

The overall sound is mostly quite atmospheric, but being an Eclectic brand of prog, varies quite a bit over the course of the album, moving from peaceful passages to sudden outbursts of heaviness which even includes growls in one track. The album begins with "Yakamoz" (2:53) which immediately evokes images of being on a ship in the water, the piano emulating waves with ascending and descending arpeggios, a nice bass line, a moderate drum/percussive beat, and later, some great guitar work. It's a nice introduction to the album with a breezy and carefree sound. "Bergherder" (10:06) starts with a smooth sound, and the vocals come in soon after. There is a nice jazz feel to the music and a lovely melody in the vocal line with some great harmonization. Again, there is the breezy and carefree attitude from the first track, but there are some sudden outbursts of heaviness that hint at rougher seas on the horizon. As the music moves along, the music slides almost casually into and out of heavy and dark sections. At 5 minutes, the instrumental break explores the heavy side of the music and after a while, the beat slows, but becomes a bit turbulent before passing into a more ominous section, and then suddenly returning to the original smooth melody, yet still passing into and out of darker sections. The amazing thing about the music is how easily it slides into the contrasting textures, much like it would be on the high, unpredictable seas.

"Space/Suit" (5:40) has a rolling percussion and more of the jazz undertones as the sound is a bit more threatening, and the vocals consist of layered harmonics that seem to want to give us a bit of comfort even though the music hints of being unsettled. It's a great contrast. The music takes it's time stirring things up over it's course on this track, and the guitar solo that comes in later stirs things up even more. "Seafarer's Song" (2:17) slows down the beat and presents a nice, floating instrumental with underlying horns and acoustic guitars. Very nice.

Next is a trilogy of songs named "Flickhead". "Flickhead I" (4:50) begins with the distant crash of thunder, and dark, ominous guitars, all played quietly with a slow beat. The keys bring in a layer that gives a sense of floating along. After 2 minutes, wordless vocals come and the music begins to intensify, until it becomes heavy at 3 minutes. The meter and tempo soon changes, goes through a progressive section where it changes meter and texture several times. The music builds and then moves into "Flickhead II" (3:25) where the music becomes peaceful, yet retains an unsettling undercurrent. A nice guitar melody is established as the music rolls on. Regular vocals come in before the 2 minute mark and then drums start to generate more movement pushing the track to the next section "Flickhead III" (7:39). Vocals begin quickly on this track, again with some great harmonic parts, but the sound of the track shows an increase of darkness, and the music and vocals intensify, then become heavier as the guitars push things forward, intensifying the music as it builds tension. At 5 minutes, things become very heavy, and the growling vocals come in when it reaches its apex. Even more tension is generated after this until things quiet down at 7 minutes to ominous whispers.

"The Smallest of Seafarers" (2:44) is more atmospheric, but feeds off of the darkness generated from the last track. The piano works to calm the guitars underneath it, but they start to try to disrupt things as they complain in the background. It's as if we have moved through a terrible storm and sailing out the other side. "StykDyk" (6:11) brings the jazz undertone back to the music and rolls along a bit smoother again. There is a nice rhythmic pattern made from the drums and guitar chords as the keys play along softly tying it all together. The guitar takes over at 3 minutes and plays a rousing solo for a short time before scat-like vocals come in bringing it back to a smooth jazz sound. Another, jazz fusion style guitar solo comes in and takes this smooth journey to its conclusion. "Perfamulated Amulite" (8:49) begins even more atmospheric with wandering guitars and keys, that give the music a romantic sound with European undertones. This one is exceptionally lovely in its instrumentation, the keys and guitars working together beautifully making a lush texture, pushing forward even without the help of drums or percussion. This music is so easy to get lost in at this point, even when it slows and becomes more reflexive. Then, an interesting turn at 4 minutes, when what sounds like the reading of instructions of some sort while the drum comes in behind it, then after 5 minutes, a sudden outburst of powerful guitars and wordless singing comes in. The music builds in intensity and darkness as it moves forward. All of this is done so seamlessly. After 7 minutes, it all calms down again, returning to that romantic reflective sound again. This track is definitely a favorite.

"The Seafarer" (6:45) starts more unsettled, and becomes a bit more chaotic, and this is reflected in the vocals that soon come in. The drums are flailing along wildly and the guitars bring in some heavy layers. The rhythm settles for a heavy moderate tempo after 2 minutes, and the guitars shove the music forward, building tension as it goes along. At 3 minutes, it gets into heavy progressive territory as everything gets dramatic and wild. Things get suddenly steady as the drums and guitar support spoken vocals from a frantic female voice. After, the music continues to push forward to the end. "Seafarer's Shadow" (3:54) ends the album with slow jangling guitars, a rolling bass line and wandering piano all working together in a crescendo. Soon, brass instruments float along with the instruments and a spoken word section comes in floating along in the music.

This album is an excellent debut album for this band and proves their ability to make some excellent music. It is mostly instrumental, but there are enough vocals spread throughout to keep the listener engaged. But it is mostly left up to the music to make the impressions needed on the listener's mind. The use of dynamics is excellent and the musicianship is top- notch. There are some passages that tend to drag a little bit, but for the most part, the music keeps you interested all the way through. There are defaintely some 5 star moments in this album, especially on the track "Prefamulated Amulite" and in the contrasts that you experience in the "Flickhead" trilogy. This is close to being a 5 star album, but just misses that mark. However, it is one that will merit returning to often as there are some really high points spread throughout. This is definitely one of the better albums released this year.