Sea & Air
Album: Evropi
Label: Glitterhouse
Tracks: 12
Website: http://seaandair.net/

After three EPs and one album Sea & Air have now released their second and really impressive album "Evropi". There is no category of music that could define their music, a good thing by itself I believe. On this album we have rich, ornamental, hymnical and also fine and quiet sounds, experimental and oriental sounds as well as electric effects and good, plain songwriting. Me personally, I would prefer the whole album in an acoustic version without any effects and I am convinced it would work just as well. This is because the musical ideas and lyrical variety of this mixed German songwriting duo are plentiful and widely varied - almost unlimited it seems. No surprise they already have a big following in Germany and have now even entered the German album charts. It's an inventive album and it's a great album.

Daniel Benjamin and Eleni Zafiriadou (Greece) present themselves as being eccentric and grounded at the same time. This very contrast is also represented in their music: There are good and plain melodies with rather simple lyrical lines like in "Peace begins at home", "We understand you" and "You are" - sung with absolutely wonderfully harmonizing vocals. At the same time there are songs with almost wild elements, cries and screams like in "Flowers from the Distance" and "Pain is just a Cloud". "Should I care" offers all the ingredients of a proper and really lovely popsong with a deeper meaning beneath and the title song "Lady Evropi" sums up the whole album with all its qualities: Touching, very touching melodic parts, engaging songwriting, rich and rhythmical instrumentation and surprising vocal/ electric effects.

Dagmar Brudnitzki