IN REVIEW: The Tea Party - "The Ocean At The End"

If it feels like it's been longer than a decade since the release of a new album from The Tea Party, you're forgiven; previous studio LP Seven Circles is all but forgotten by all but hardcore fans (lead single Writing's On The Wall, in addition to being prophetic for the band at the time, failed to make much of a lasting impact alongside their biggest and brightest successes). In fact, there are a lot of folks for whom everything became a bit of a blur after the band started dabbling with keyboards on fourth album Transmission back in '97.

And yet, here we are, a decade removed from the last blast of new tunes with The Ocean At The End, album number eight for a band looking to reclaim some of the glory that faded at home so long ago (in Australia, they've always been adored). With that said, The Ocean At The End is a hard record to judge properly from a longtime fan's perspective. On the surface, it does everything right; the wild array of instrumentation, adventurous spirit and Zeppelinesque bombast that endeared so many to them are all here in spades. It plays out in the listener's mind not unlike seeing an old friend for the first time after a long time apart; it can be difficult to be critical of something that reminds you so vividly of things that you loved growing up.

Regarding nostalgia in relation to The Ocean At The End, some songs run the risk of being familiar to a distressingly suspicious level; take Submission, with its electronic flourishes reminiscent of 1997 hit Temptation; one starts to wonder if this song might have just been sitting around in storage for seventeen years. Or Water's On Fire, which is a hell of a ballad that reminds us that these are the guys who brought us Heaven Coming Down. Hell, they even cover Daniel Lanois, which is something they already did fifteen years ago.

Then, there's the Zeppelin references; opening track The L.o.C. and The 11th Hour in particular will fuel the flames of anyone who harshly accuse The Tea Party of blatant Zeppelin plagiarism, as will the lyrical nod to Hey Hey What Can I Do found toward the end of Black Roses. However, it's not like Zep were the most original band going, and it's more of an homage anyway, but whatever helps you sleep at night.

All of the above may be cause for alarm if The Tea Party didn't bring their A-game; digging beneath the surface of these songs reveals most of the similarities to be cosmetic in nature. listen closer to The L.o.C. and there's a lot of extracurricular activity happening behind that Achilles Last Stand-recalling rhythm. Water's On Fire might be another blatant attempt at radio play but it's a damn good one, certainly a far sight better than the majority of Canadian rock bands gracing the radio waves at the moment.

Black Roses, too, is a much more complex song than a cursory listen will give it credit for; you might hear Sister Awake and Hey Hey What Can I Do in there, but there's also a countrified flavour inserted into the mix courtesy of a mournful slide guitar, as well as a hard hitting chorus that rips and soars. About that Daniel Lanois cover? It's amazingly executed, and if nothing else The Tea Party remind us yet again what a gifted songwriter Lanois is (you know, since no other band seems up to the task).

Commendation is also due to single The Black Sea, a muscular and melodic slab of rock that isn't a mere carbon copy of past hits; it's got swing, swagger and thunder in equal portions, and it's an altogether undisputed beast. Also highly recommended is the title track, eight plus minutes of Floydian witchcraft that takes this band a few places it's never been, which is really saying something. Brazil is also a bit risky, but manages to balance horns, whistles, ample percussion and slashing guitars alike without sounding overstuffed.

It's not all happy nostalgia and bold decisions, though, and I do feel the need to rap a few tracks on the knuckles. Previously mentioned Submission sticks out like a sore thumb here, sounding far removed from everything else on the record and breaking up momentum (and I can't help but think of Futurama when I hear those bells). It's immediately followed by The Cass Corridor, a ragged and bluesy number with silly lyrics that keep me from taking it seriously. And closing track Into The Unknown doesn't serve much purpose aside from kicking its legs in its wordless, ambient quicksand for five minutes before giving up hope of going anywhere meaningful. It might have worked if it were cut down to a minute or two and used as a mid-album interlude, but in this form it's a bit perplexing.

Despite those minor missteps, the album still marks a welcome return. The tricky part when it comes to returning from long absences is how you approach the comeback; so many bands try and fail to be relevant for a new generation of fans, and The Ocean At The End deserves credit for not attempting any modern tropes. Even the most experimental of bands coming off a long recess find it hard to avoid leaning on the crutch of familiarity, and The Tea Party lean pretty hard at times here, but it's rarely to the album's detriment (the way, for instance, a dubstep breakdown would have been had they chose to include one).

If you've ever had to defend your love for The Tea Party, there's plenty of vindication to be found on The Ocean At The End. It may be just a little light on surprises, but it's heavy on the band's strengths; they weren't very well going to trump The Edges Of Twilight coming back from a full stop. I can't call it an instant classic, but I had to force myself to take off the fanboy hat and give this album a proper, critical listen; any time that's necessary, you must have done something right. Consider this comeback deserving of your attention.

September 9, 2014 • Universal

Highlights The L.o.C • Black Roses • Water's On Fire