Review Summary: It's a short EP, but will definately leave you wanting more. A very good premiere that promises a lot for the future works of The Black Atlantic
While listening to
The Black Atlantic you might be in for a slight suprise. The opener
'Moving Through A Crowd' sends mellow singer/songwriter-material with strong Indie-Rock touch through the speakers. This is easy listening, catchy, relaxing and definately lifting you up. Even on a grey and rainy day. A very pleasent singing voice welcomes the listener with the first line
"I have been wandering these streets for seven nights and days". Who would think that behind these tunes is the former front man and singer of the Hardcore formation
Shai Hulud? There are and were some singers from the Hardcore and Post-Hardcore Department that have moved to a solo record, often in the singer/songrwiter or Folk genre as well.
Chuck Ragan of
Hot Water Music,
Dustin Kensrue of
Thrice or
Dallas Green of
Alexisonfire made a name for themselfes with their solo albums. But nobody has so far managed to stray away from the voice the audience is used to like
Geert van der Velde.
This EP alone is a very promising outlook on a forthcoming full length. The idea, that a barely recognisable
Geert van der Velde is taking a trip into the singer/songwriter-land here, makes it even more interesting. Not often has a Hardcore-singer proved that that being a shouter and screamer does not mean that you suck at "ordinary" singing. But it's not only the singing and vocals that make the songs what they are. There is a love for detail at work here, that you barely notice the first listen through. Besides a piano, slight percussions and clapping underline certain parts of
'A Letter In Sonics (Send This Home)', sometimes just used once. Almost unnoticed as one might think. But with everytime you listen to the whole EP, you spot more details. Like the tarin sounds that acompany the intro of
'The Good Forecast'. Again, almost unnoticed. The songs seem much more layered with every play.
Unfortunately the biggest drawback is the playtime of this EP. Exactly 18 minutes is a fair playtime for four songs, overall it just seems really short. This is merely a small peek into the Indie-works of
Geert van der Velde. But this is already very promising and leaves you wanting more. Apart from that, the man from the Netherlands suggests himself to friends of Indie-Pop and Rock, as well as singer/songwriter-like music. And that's more than fitting.
