The Shell That Speaks The Sea makes amazing use of field recordings to give the listener a sense of location, and through that a basis for their track to track journey. These recordings form a haunting cradle within which flutes, voice, percussion, and various other instruments and methods are allowed to grow and form into their own creature, coming out of the background like a spectre. Does one heed the spectre's words or run in fear? Each of the eight tracks on Shell utilizes a similar approach as the others, but their aim is slightly different. The dark but natural approach here lures the listener in with a sense of familiarity, but the instruments give them an uneasy feeling. Like the ghosts of ancients here to protect their forests, the instruments and voices in Shell have their own tales to tell, and one would do well listening to them a number of times. Toop and English's collaborative effort shows two artists in perfect sync, adding their own elements to the piece, all while staying true to this shared vision. In addition to telling tales, the combination of field recordings and instruments nicely highlights how these may have come into being, and why certain areas utilize the instruments that they do. Lacking the ability to cause a ruckus through stridulation, humans had to create their own sound machines to join in on the natural chorus. While we would at first think that these aren't "natural" since they were created, they serve the same purpose - giving us a voice.

 

The Shell That Speaks The Sea is a wonderful and engaging work that allows the listener to transport themselves to a different place and time, as well as showcasing the beauty of nature with highlights of human musical invention. Benefitting from multiple listens, the album unfolds the more it is heard, and new friends are found hidden within each track. While this may have been a project a long time in the making, it was well worth the wait and we'd all do well with waiting patiently for their next collaboration. For more information