Have you ever gone to a movie expecting to see an action movie, but as you watch it, you realize it's a drama? Not quite what you were expecting, but unless you're a meathead you take it for what it is and realize it's still pretty good. This is the case for The Black Atlantic's debut EP Send This Home. The Black Atlantic features Geert van der Velde, former vocalist for melodic hardcore pioneers Shai Hulud. When I heard this, I figured any project with someone from that band must be at least interesting, if not really good. But as I began to listen to this CD, I realized it's not Hearts Once Nourished with Hope and Compassion part two, as I was expecting.
Instead, The Black Atlantic takes almost an entire one-eighty from Shai Hulud's guttural screams and heavy breakdowns, and what we get is a slow indie rock sound a la Braid or Band of Horses. Now, ordinarily I might get angry that the new sound of Geert is not that of his past, but luckily, I enjoy bands like Braid. And I cannot get it out of my head how much "Moving Through a Crowd" sounds like this great band from Boston called The First Annual. While this album doesn't sound like anything new at first, which is not to say that it is not well executed, all the songs seem to flow well in general, and the sound is different enough to remain interesting, at the very least.
Geert's lyrics here are kind of teetering on a line between really good and almost lame. Now before you just assume that means they're bad, let me clarify. You can see the lyrical feats of Geert on the four-song album, but it's a process of changing from Shai Hulud lyrics to The Black Atlantic lyrics. Trying to write love songs after writing songs about the deterioration of mankind is going to be a little difficult. For example, "The words, they stayed afloat on the surface of my soul / But I spared them from my aimless drift." I can see where he's going with it, but the lyrics leave a little something to be desired, and it will take a bit to find that same lyrical niche in a new genre.
Considering the potential disappointment of a genre switch, this EP picked up its own slack. It was not what I had expected, but I have to give props for a frontman of a band like Shai Hulud creating an album like Send This Home. Not often do you find a hardcore singer who can actually sing. At only four songs, it's hard to get really into this, but I feel like it's a solid introduction for something good to come.
