Album Review: Wraith by Teeth of the Sea

Much of the album does indeed give off distinctly ghostly vibes, fit for soundtracking uneasily spooky yet beatific transmissions from limbo by the recently departed. Take the epic "Hiraeth" as an example. Fuelled by a mournful trumpet and a sense of impending doom that's somehow triggered an outbreak of serene contemplation rather than screeching panic, the impressively majestic epic could well pass off as Ennio Morricone soundtracking an apocalyptic sci-fi flick (something along the lines of Blade Runner) set in a perpetually twilit, acid rain-splattered metropolis of ruins, were it not for a restlessly spluttering drum machine.

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Wraith is the fifth album from Teeth of the Sea, the gene-bending London outfit that - to focus on film soundtrack references - have been blending the widescreen grandiosity of Ennio Morricone with the punishing giallo-prog of Goblin and the cosmic synth wizardry of Tangerine Dream for over a decade now. As such touchstones may suggest, Teeth of the Sea's music is, like that of all the best contemporary 'psychedelic' bands, a glorious collage of styles and approaches. Techno, noise, metal, prog, and jazz all battle for the most prominent position, resulting in music that is pleasingly un-self-conscious in its freewheeling commitment to maintaining its own identity at the expense of easy categorisation.

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UK psychedelic noise-rock experimenters Teeth of the Sea embrace the more spectral side of their sound on the tellingly titled Wraith.   The industrial punk elements of prior releases are recalibrated, no longer spending as much time at the forefront of the mix. Now, their sonic knives are honed and deployed with the precision of assassins. The compositions that make up Wraith take their time building scenes, setting the mood, luring you in with seductive saxophone lines, ethereal synth orchestras and buoyant drum programming, before ….

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