A Vibrant Sea is another stirring full-length from Dortmund-based artist David Kleinekottmann, performing as Present Paradox. First catching our ears in 2022 with the album Caesura, Present Paradox compels across this release as well, which utilizes layered delay guitars and subtle orchestral touches while exploring feelings of isolation and modern anxiety. It achieves a striking balance between electronics and organic tension, rewarding focused attention with its sophisticated, unfolding arrangements.

The album’s title track opens with satisfying momentum, moving from mellow, introspective allure into heightened emotion. Serene acoustics and suave vocals move into a string-laden immersion, reminiscent of Radiohead in the moody instrumentation and ensuing trickling guitars, while Kleinekottmann’s lead vocals echo a solemnly escalating quality, with shades of Nick Cave. The ensuing “Office Words” embraces the post-punk realm with its flickering bass lines, hazy synths, and “let the door slam” haunting vocal refrains. A Vibrant Sea showcases an eclectic, captivating array right away, with the moodily expanding “A Vibrant Sea” and then the peppy post-punk catchiness within “Office Words.”

“Stand Still” stuns atmospherically as well, exuding a sort of Low-era Bowie quality in its quivering croon and nocturnal synth ruminations. Elsewhere, “Faust Barre” serves up 7+ minutes of gorgeous rock entrancement, maneuvering from debonair vocals and lush guitar hypnotics into spacey synth caressing and beautifully theatrical synths. The final two minutes are especially resonating, melding foreboding guitar distortion with glistening synth arpeggios. A Vibrant Sea is another fantastic album from Present Paradox, showing no shortage of mood, emotion, and satisfying structural build-ups.

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We discovered this release via MusoSoup.

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