London-based band Sea Stacks are self-defined as "orchestral indie," and would much rather give you tracks layered with harmonium than the rather more ubiquitous piano or guitar.
Davy Berryman, founder and lead vocalist, has been working for nearly three years to, in his words, "create wind and string-strafed indie music."
With "Brutal Concrete / Scottish Wilderness," he not only succeeds, but highlights the huge timbral and emotional range of the seemingly limited ensemble of a solo voice, cello, and harmonium.
All three elements involved are both rich and fragile within four minutes, with the cello reminiscent of Bach's Cello Suite No. 1 at times, although becoming much less insistent midway through the song.
Berryman's vocals are similarly full, powerful, and compelling. When scaling the heights to falsetto, however, a wonderful vulnerability becomes evident; this is halted by a piercing call on the word "suffering," and the song's driving beat begins again.
The trackcan be identified as a clear metaphor for Berryman's musical preferences, as the words "You can have your brutal concrete, your sky-high steel" show obvious parallels with the band's refusal to use guitars or non-acoustic instruments.
As the end result is something so beautiful, Sea Stacks' non-conformist efforts can only be admired, and it's hard not to choose the Scottish Wilderness once they've won you over.
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