There Has To Be More by Radioseed (Review)

As I write this, it’s the last week of October, which means that we are smack dab in the middle of autumn. The days are getting cooler and greyer, and I couldn’t be happier — this is my time. However, I’m sure that for many out there, this is the worst time of the year, and they look back with fondness and regret at the ever-receding summer. It is for these people that I recommend RadioSeed’s There Has To Be More.

Listening to There Has To Be More may conjure up memories of Ecovillage’s Phoenix Asteroid — which isn’t be surprising in the least, as RadioSeed is in fact the project of Ecovillage founding member Peter Wikström. Both groups have a similar dreamy, washed out bliss-pop sound, full of swirling, sighing vocals and ambient guitar textures. But having listened to both albums back to back, I think I might prefer There Has To Be More a bit more.

The sound palette is a bit more eclectic — for example, the folksy atmospherica that opens the album, and sounds like the nexus between Appalachia and New Delhi. More importantly, the album is more propulsive and beat-driven. The aptly titled “Kissed Your Galaxy Goodbye” is a clear standout, with thumping beats propelling and grooving Wikström on a cosmic odyssey as he heads for the Large Magellanic Cloud. It’s like listening to Studio and the rest of the Balearic scene, if they got a good, swift kick in the drum machine, and it’s the perfect soundtrack for a summer that has just passed you by.