The Artificial Sea – City Island

Kevin C. Smith and Alina Simone combine to form The Artificial Sea. With Alina’s beautiful and powerful vocals blending with Kevin’s creative soundscapes they are a potent force. I must admit when I first Glory Hole, the opening track on City Island, I wasn’t expecting much from the rest of the album. Musically messy and with undefined lyrics it wasn’t a promising start. But as soon as the first track is over the album transforms into something very special. The stripped down approach taken on the rest of the tracks along with some excellent production really lets Alina’s voice shine. The extra definition really helps you to appreciate what an excellent musician Kevin C. Smith is too. Everything seems to fit perfectly and there are plenty of twists to keep things interesting. They chose not to over-produce the album and instead welcomed rough edges. It’s an approach that works perfectly for them, the raw emotion clear to hear. City Island is a stunning debut from a duo who have clearly found a unique voice in a crowded genre. This is a group who truly deserve success and if they keep delivering music like this I’m sure they will succeed. From a disappointing start City Island soon became one of the finest albums I’ve heard all year. A masterpiece.

City Island is available to buy now from iTunes and http://www.travellingmusic.net

For more information on The Artificial Sea please visit – http://www.artificialsea.info

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