Seamonster
The Ascension of Archibald Balloonhead
Gold Robot/Elephant 6
8/10
Artist Todd Webb’s newest release under his musical moniker Seamonster continues his ability to manipulate sound into emotions. From the opener “Oh, Am I Dreaming?” to the closing “In the Morning Light,” Seamonster lives up to his aquatic pseudonym and creates reverb-heavy songs that are as much a story as they are a song. The artist, whose work has been in both Nickelodeon Magazine and on the cover of Apples In Stereo side project Robbert Bobbert and The Bubble Machine, extends his artistic reach, though this time not in a cute and fun way, but in a far more introverted and raw fashion. My main complaint is also the signature piece: the effects-heavy recording of this both accentuates the style of Seamonster, but at the same time it drowns out the lyrics at times, leaving Seamonster a perfect record to play while you are doing something creative yourself, but not really for active listening.
–Jonathan Yost