Review: Seahaven's Reverie Lagoon is a shimmering emo record

Reverie Lagoon: Music for Escapism Only is an emo-centered indie rock record ruled by its quieter
moments. Paralleling the needlessly wordy title, it’s a slightly bloated album. The distractions are minimal, however, and the album’s longest pieces are also its standouts. Seahaven’s preferred genre has changed since 2011’s Winter Forever, but while the band’s current material may not be as easy to consume, it’s arguably more original and ambitious.


The album’s guitars are clean and shimmering, rarely giving in to Seahaven’s previous pop-punk leanings. In fact, with traditional hooks and dynamics, “Flesh” is the only oddball among Reverie Lagoon’s 14 tracks. The probable crowd pleaser is the only song that finds the band revisiting familiar territory.

Reverie Lagoon has its quirks. Singer Kyle Soto has a habit of enunciating a particular syllable after barely uttering another, which produces a quiet-loud cadence that brings to mind the distinct style of National frontman Matt Berninger, minus Berninger's confidence and baritone capabilities.

Additionally, a few missteps prevent Seahaven’s transformation from happening seamlessly. The brief shoegaze of “Whispers” doesn’t add much to the record, nor does the album’s pair of interludes, both of which bury Soto’s vocals under the same overbearing guitar notes.

The album’s fully realized songs are those that exceed three minutes in length. With Bright Eyes collaborator Ben Brodin having engineered Reverie Lagoon, the acoustic guitar and reverb-laced vocals of “Highway Blues” comprise a template that was surely used on the Omaha band’s last full-length. And the memorable, swaying chorus and careful restraint of lead single “Silhouette (Latin Skin)” — which reappears after having been released on a three-song EP earlier this year — lead to the album’s most rewarding passage: a layered crescendo with Soto earnestly repeating, “I thought you noticed all our blemish. Didn’t you know this is temporary?”

Reverie Lagoon: Music for Escapism Only will surprise those expecting the pop-punk spiritual successor to Winter Forever. The album’s hooks are less overt, having been traded for sophisticated indie rock sensibilities and nuanced structures. Though the album can afford to lose its shorter tracks, the bulk of it shows Seahaven adapting to a new identity with mostly positive results.

6/10