Singles Roundup: Sailor Hunter, The Jayhawks, Dogma, & North Sea Echoes

The second half of the year is beginning, and we have new music to kick it off with. This week's new songs are:

Sailor Hunter - Nox

Previously, I wrote about Sailor Hunter's song "Unbound", which hit me as one of the best songs so far this year. This chapter with their new singer Dimitra was off to an incredibly promising start. This next song is an indication that we can't think we know everything that is coming, because the band is not interested in following a script. Rather than deliver another song that hit the same (excellent) marks, they shift their tone and style to remind us more of their roots, infusing far more death metal into the equation this time.

That gives the song a far different feeling, as the swell and emotion of the chorus to "Unbound" is put to the side on this one. Instead, the band puts as many ideas as they can into this one song, with the vocals going from guttural growls and Dimitra's screams, to her metallic belting and almost operatic high notes. It's an impressive display of range, and doing so much all at once gives us a lot to wrap our heads around as we listen. They are challenging us as much as they are entertaining us. But, as someone admittedly not much of a fan of extreme metal and growled vocals, this is a song targeted toward an audience I am mostly an observer of.

There is still promise to be heard, and pieces I like quite a bit, but "Unbound" is still my song of choice.

The Jayhawks - Keeping Our Heads Above Water

I neve know how to react to an announcement that The Jayhawks are gearing up to release something new. It's been a roller coaster ride being a fan, not just because nothing they do has ever been able to recapture the spirit of "Hollywood Town Hall" (one of my favorite albums of all time), but because Gary Louris' influences run the gamut, including many psychedelic and experimental roads I would rather not travel down. The only record of their last three I enjoy at all is the one compiling old songs, which might say something.

That makes it all the more confusing that this song is a return to classic Jayhawks, but with a twist. The band has found their sunny-day pop sensibility once more, which pairs beautifully with Louris' melancholy voice. Especially without the band's earlier dual vocal approach, the clashing tones of voice and music are necessary to give that traditional Jayhawks feeling. If this is an indication that the band is going for a "Smile The Green Grass" or "Smile" vibe again, that's good enough for me. I'm cautiously optimistic this might be The Jayhawks I love.

Dogma - My Matricidal

When I talked about Dogma's previous single, I mentioned how uncomfortable it feels to enjoy their music, given everything we know about the band's situation. That has not changed, but what "My Matricidal" does is make it less important for me to have to answer those questions. Why? That is because Dogma was not able to keep up the spark and fireworks of that song, instead giving us a song that is enjoyable, but not as memorable, or as essential.

This time the music is a bit slower, a bit heavier, and the drama the band is going for doesn't quite pay off the way they intend it to. The chorus features a powerful vocal, but the melody lacks the immediacy of "Fate Unblinds", and the camp factor that makes all of this work is missing. The band is playing the schtick too close to the vest, and when they are taking the characters so seriously it makes it difficult for me to take the music seriously. This is a gimmick band, and they can't come across stone-faced when they are singing love letters to their dark lord. It doesn't work in that context.

But that's a good thing, because now I don't feel as bad about enjoying "Fate Unblinds" as much as I do. A one off is easier to justify... at least in my mind.

North Sea Echoes - Enjoy The View

The members of Fates Warning are awfully busy, considering that they don't want to be Fates Warning anymore. This time, Jim Matheos and Ray Alder have teamed up once more for another record from their more ambient and emotional project. I shudder at the mention of ambient music, but this song is not that, or at least not entirely. The chorus introduces layers of electric guitars that don't sound that far off the melodic rock Ray made with A-Z last year, just with a weaker tone coming from the amps. It's powerful enough to let Ray emote as only he can, and damn if it doesn't work.

For my money, Matheos has always been at his best when not falling down the rabbit hole of ambient sound, so the fact that this song mixes those tones with enough energy to still be a rock song is a perfect combination. The somber feeling is present, but Ray has enough to latch onto to draw a strong melody. No, it isn't as much fun as A-Z2 was, but it's not supposed to be. This song is great for what it is, and I only hope it's not a one-off on the album.