When a band features members of such indie luminaries as Frodus and Fugazi within its ranks, you can pretty much be guaranteed that some inspirational music will be in store and this 3 song debut opus from The Black Sea does not stray from the aforementioned rule of thumb. A downbeat blend of strumming angular indie rock riffing with an introspective edge, the band bring to mind the likes of Engine Down and Sunny Day Real Estate with their captivating emotional density.

Starkly slow paced, the bands music is a stunning combination of intelligent rock prowess and less is more musicianship, finding these talented fellows crafting vivid sound-scapes without the use of excessive instrumentation or obnoxious effects. As such the band definitely draw a small portion of their influence from 70's rock acts on this release, but not by being nostalgic and instead rather in the production techniques and the way each instrument stands out on its own to open up the songs. With a truckload of weary emotional vocals topping off this crisp yet loose musical cleansing, this EP is very hard not to be impressed by.

Its just not your typical music of this day and age, its indie rock without the retro garage rock garbage we are bombarded with and while it is sensitive it isn't emo or punk. Instead it is intelligent and authentic, experimental and honest - all of which are qualities that seem rare as of late. Without question this is a moody release and one that will require a certain mood, but when the glove fits there is little better to listen to. As cliche as it sounds the cover art for this outing depicts dark clouds rolling in and one can't help but feel that it perfectly sums up the music contained within, not to mention that with a full-length album on the way it looks like this is merely the calm before the storm.