Silver Line on a Black Sea by The Potomac Accord (Review)

While there are undeniable Godspeed comparisons, The Potomac Accord’s music is never quite so bombastic.
Silver Line on a Black Sea - The Potomac Accord

Auuuggh! It seems like everytime I listen to this record, I have to rewrite the review I’ve been working on and start all over. I’m currently on the 3rd or 4th draft, and I’m hoping this will be the last one, because I’m getting a bit frustrated with myself. What could cause such issues, you ask? After The Potomac Accord was kind enough to send me another copy of their CD (after having lent the first copy to a friend and promptly losing track of it), I’ve been trying to pull my thoughts together while I write, hoping that the act of writing will help me figure some things out.

But I’ve run into a bit of a problem. Part of me wants to write about how sweeping and epic these songs are, these carefully constructed chamber pieces replete with graceful piano arrangments and a dirge-like mentality. But at the same time, another part of me wants to point out how derivative some of this stuff sounds, that the imagery is overblown and has all been used before, that the recording’s passion can’t quite live up to its pretense.

Let’s get one thing out of the way. It’s going to be impossible to continue writing this review without throwing out names like Godspeed You Black Emperor! or A Silver Mt. Zion, so I’m not going to even try (even though I’m sure the band is sick of them).

Therein lies much of what troubles me about this disc. There’s always this nagging feeling that I’ve heard many of these sounds and themes before, on albums like Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada and Born Into Trouble As the Sparks Fly Upward. At times, it very nearly ruins my enjoyment of songs like “Maya” and “All Eyes On Me” (especially the second one, which follows the Godspeed formula almost to a “T,” complete with sketchy samples and several building movements).

But just when I think I’m going to get away with being all snide and witty, I listen to the album again, and I start wondering if I was a little too hasty. While there are some undeniable comparisons, The Potomac Accord’s music is never quite so bombastic. Their songs do have peaks and valleys, but they never achieve the same level of gotterdammerung, nor do they seem interested in doing so. Their songs seem more interested in the slow burn, in the building of the sound. This can be seen in album’s emphasis on lush, rolling piano melodies, especially the intricate ones that conclude “Maya.”

Silver Line on a Black Sea is an impressive debut full-length, but I detect that there’s still a lot of work that needs to be done — a lot of polishing that needs to happen before the next release. Some songs sound like they simply got away from the band during recording and end up meandering around far longer than they should. Some of these songs, despite the flourishes, still feel underdeveloped and skeletal, as if they’re waiting for the finishing touches. However, the band is too busy chasing one piano filigree after another, and soon enough, the song has run out of steam.

The album also suffers from a tone that borders on monotonous at times. There’s little variation from one song to the next, with many of the same elements, be they intricate piano arrangements or pained vocals, being utilized from song to song and often in the same manner. There’s something to be said for creating a unified mood, and The Potomac Accord certainly go a long ways towards that end. But as a result, the album sometimes feels constricted and claustrophobic.

Even when I’m feeling like I should be super-critical of the album (with all of the snideness that entails), even then I have to admit that this record, flaws and all, is pretty impressive. At the same time, there’s also a lot that can be polished, tightened, and built on. With The Potomac Accord’s new album scheduled to come out later this year (along with a repress of this one), I honestly want to see if and how they’ve progressed.

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