Whale Bones – ‘The Seaside EP’ Review

Posted: by Sean Gonzalez

Whale Bones is the next alternative/angst/sad/hopeful duo shining through the music scene. Hailing from Bloomington, Indiana, the band brings with it plenty of other genre influences to garnish their already unique sound. The Seaside EP is the band’s first release, containing five tracks and running about 20 minutes. 

One immediate listen to this record and one can distinguish how this band sets itself apart from others. ‘Ambient power chords mesh with pop-punk emotional lyrical prowess and metal as hell double bass drums’ is the best sentence to quickly discern Whale Bones from the rest. ‘The Current’ opens the EP with echo’d spacey harmonics and volume swells, giving listeners time to fall into a deep thought before the rest of the album soars through the headphones. Nathan Kane has a dominant voice that he can glide through a falsetto or monotonously drone through poetic stanzas. The latter is heard on lead single ‘Hiding From The Sea.’ While the chorus is flushed with melodic harmonies, the build up in the bridge brings a new wave of weight to the song. 

The highlight of The Seaside EP comes from ‘Exhausted Forgiveness.’ What starts off arguably as a ballad is then detonated into an epic tune for the faint of heart. Group vocal chants, Kane nearly breaking his voice and an aggressive punk chord progression keep this track on repeat over and over. Weirdly, this is the one time where drummer Paul Lierman lets up usual intricate patterns for a more syncopated assault. The ending of the song is a bit questionable, if not cheesy. 

The Seaside EP is a grouping of modern rock tracks intertwined together with a thematic lyrical theme of nautical focus. This is a fun way for a listener to stay connected with the record. Nathan Kane and Paul Lierman are a talented duo, as evidenced by closing track ‘The Seaside,’ and their ability to construct musical compositions with charm and vigor is a plus for them. At times the songs can feel like they are dragging on, but in reality it is just the anticipation of the raw build ups that are an outpour of emotions and double bass kicks straight to the heart. Whale Bones is a band that has a lot of potential and an exciting EP to boast about it with.

Score: 7.25/10

Pick up the EP HERE: https://whalebonesband.bandcamp.com/album/the-seaside-ep