Photo Credit: Loreana Rushe
A Ritual Sea - Seasons (Like You)
Info: A Ritual Sea formed in 2016 over a love of film, dream pop, shoegaze and all things esoteric. The four-piece from Dublin and Paris, released their debut single 'Serpentine' in late 2016, going on to support the likes of Manchester psych-folk artist, Jane Weaver and Berlin drone merchants, The Underground Youth, among others in 2017.
Their new single 'Seasons (Like You)' is the second track from their forthcoming debut album, due for release in early 2019. It explores the themes of fear, paranoia and falling in love, while the self-made video invokes a dream-like elemental state of colour and confusion.
One of the best things about listening to a lot of Irish music throughout each year is knowing (especially these days) that you are guaranteed on more than one occasion to fall in love with great ease. A Ritual Sea's debut single 'Serpentine' was a complete show-stopper, and newest track 'Seasons (Like You)' has exactly the same instantly arresting quality.
Whilst Irish shoegaze and dream-pop are both relatively new in the grand scheme of things compared to other genres, their popularity are without question. It is still however, a territory with plenty of room for more acts, but it's the ones that are leading the way which give fan of these genres great hope locally.
'Seasons (Like You)', when taken in conjunction with their debut, firmly puts A Ritual Sea to the forefront. I can tell that a lot of work went into getting the new single to the place it is now, this was no throwaway hurried release, so much thought has gone into every little element. The song opens unapologetically apologetic, you're asked to listen, but it matters not if you choose otherwise.
The balance between prominence of guitar, seemingly taking its cue from the vocalist as to when it is allowed enter, the bass is so light-touch, and for a song of this ambience that's exactly as it should be, complimentary. Add to all of these strands a percussion that sounds like it is not conscious of what is going on around it it becomes hypnotic, and we have ourselves a very, very important Irish single release for 2018 in our midst. There's an album due in 2019, and I don't know how I'd cope with that amount of splendour, but I'm very happy to go with it.
The band will launch their new single on Thurs 9th of August, in Drop Dead Twice on Frances Street, Dublin 8 – FREE admission, alongside the fantastic Hostess (ex CAP PAS PCAP) and Father! More info here.
Like / Listen & Follow:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ARitualSea/
Bandcamp: https://aritualsea.bandcamp.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ARitualSea
