The Sea of Love [Expanded Edition]

Personnel: Eileen Gribben, Terry Sharpe, Soud Murphy (vocals); Pat Gribben (guitar); Andy Findon (tin whistle); Bob White (Uilleann pipe); Peter Vitesse, Jonathan Whitehead, Nick Glennie-Smith (keyboards); Paul Crowder (drums, background vocals); Murice Pert (percussion); Roland Kerridge (electronic percussion); Paul Fishman (keyboard programming); Stevie Lange, Billy Vanderpuye, David Field, Pete Smith, McCarthy Sisters, Katie Kissoon, Miriam Stockley, Brian Kennedy (background vocals).
Photographer: Tony Mascolo.
Soothing harmonies, ringing guitars, and lush synths are the inhabitants that swim in The Sea of Love, the sophomore effort by the Adventures. The shimmering, hummable pop the Adventures crafted on their first LP, Theodore and Friends, is furnished with a coat of studio polish as the band aims for an epic feel. In an attempt to beef up their sound, the group doesn't lose its grip on subtlety. The slicker production doesn't make their songs more appealing to commercial radio; it merely enhances their beauty. The choirboy vocals of Terry Sharpe are thrust into the front of the mix; the album exploits the fragility and strength of his voice, bringing them into focus. Sharpe's melancholy vocals on "Broken Land" captures the suffering caused by violent, religious strife in Ireland, Sharpe's country of birth. Accompanied by woeful keyboards and robust drums, he sings with profound sorrow as he observes the destruction around him and asks for peace. The warmth and clarity of his voice is comforting not only to the ears but to the heart as well. In "You Don't Have to Cry Anymore" and "The Sound of Summer," his soaring vocals lift the spirits without being saccharine. Sharpe's backup singers, Eileen Gribben and Spud Murphy, add even greater depth to his succulent harmonies. Musicianship throughout The Sea of Love is top-notch. Pat Gribben is a gifted guitarist, keenly aware of when to turn up the amps and when to strive for sparkling pop. The unyielding optimism of The Sea of Love probably won't suit cynics, but anybody with a craving for a feel-good album will have a king's feast. ~ Michael Sutton