artist Below the Sea

It has been six years and 2005 sees the release of Blame It On The Past, the third full-length album from Quebec’s favourite instrumental trio, Below the Sea. Special guest appearances include Ulrich Schnauss and Mathieu Grisé of destroyalldreamers The music, as always, is instrumental. But guitarist / producer Patrick Lacharité’s songs have been pushed further than before with the addition of new bassist Victor Meyer. Along with gifted drummer Pascal Asselin (of Millimetrik and Glider fame), both the compositions and performances have an urgency that suggests the band dared not look back and re-consider the subtle shift towards a less ambient sound. The band’s trademark atmospherics, however, remain. The addition of piano on some tracks and an increase in the amount of digital editing used during production create new sounds and brings a new richness to Below The Sea’s already lush melodies, securing the already commonly related comparisons to Bark Psychosis and Slowdive. Happier songs? Sure, but overall Blame It On The Past deals with similar emotions as previous efforts, though in a more mature way. You could say the new album makes an effort to document emotions most would prefer left behind, or you could say the return of the repressed always has its way. Below The Sea opts not to let go of what they have experienced, nor what they have achieved, and the results are shimmering and stunning.