Establishing the mood with a cerebral synth creating an almost submerged effect, in line with the name of the band, The Sunken Sea open Is It Living? with an art-rock meets post-punk energy, as Melbourne songwriter Dougal James sings the title of the track on loop with a timeless and recognisable baritone vocal timbre.
The opus expands with poetic nuance and evocative charm as the band touch upon personal and political themes. We learn that The Sunken Sea features guitarist Maddi Si, with Cian Bennet on trumpet, ethereal synth
and additional vocals, Ben Fleming on drums and Dougal James performing bass as well as lead vocal. The single also features local singer-songwriter Stella Farnan delivering backing vocals.
We appreciate the depth that the band share with their artistry, and hypnotizing soundscape. They confess that “the repeated, unfinished question in the coda suggests that we can get so trapped in the ritual of
our despair that we lose sight of what we actually desire in life.”
The instrumental intricacy that the band share is a cohesive tapestry of sound, which fuses perfectly with Dougal James‘s main vocal and the luscious accompanying harmonies. We love the message and authenticity that The Sunken Sea share with their vision, and have added the existential composition to our New Music Spotlight playlist, whilst we continue to stream their wider discography, including Blame and Funeral Pyres.