The Sea of Memories

Picking up where their 2008 EP Humdrum left off and building on the promise of lead-off single "Come Rain, Come Sunshine," Swedish electro-pop outfit Pallers raise the bar with full-length debut The Sea of Memories. The title aptly captures the feel of the record, as shimmering keyboards, driving percussion, and dreamy noises coalesce into a richly atmospheric, surprisingly warm soundscape that would be right at home among the ocean waves. These tones propel wistful vocals delivering lyrics yearning for times gone by and searching for comfort, conjuring the image of a message in a bottle. Yes, Pallers took to the studio — in fact, traveling to Cape Town, Miami, and Spain, as well as their native Sweden — to record The Sea of Memories, but they manage to capture a sense of intimacy and mysticism greater than the sum of its two members, Johan Angergård and Henrik Mårtensson, and as vast as the ocean. Come Rain, Come Sunshine ponders whether one would choose to live again if given the chance, and just as the narrator confesses, "I feel I’m losing my way," here comes the sun, giving way to a grand, glistening melody and ethereal backing vocals. In contrast to the prevailing reflective nature of the record, "Wicked" offers respite from the melancholy, laying a synth pop-inspired groove over guest singer Elise Zalbo as she proclaims, "I don’t want a chain around my heart." From its unconventional treatment of electronic music to its emotionally raw songwriting, visiting The Sea of Memories is well worth the journey.