Classical, electronic, and dream-pop elements delightfully converge on Tears of the Sea, the new album from Watercolored. The project of singer-songwriter and producer Itai Bauman, Watercolored infuses poetic lyrical prowess within his memorable compositions; the album enamors in its conceptual pursuit, as well. “Tears of the Sea is a concept album that portrays a journey through the oceans outside and within,” Bauman explains.
A ravishing symphonic intrigue unveils on opening track “A Dream.” A spoken-word narration conveys a comparison between self and natural elements like the wind, the moon, and an isolated boat adrift in the ocean. “You are the wind,” the vocal lets out amidst heartfelt strings and twinkling piano. “You are blowing through an open field of plants and flowers, and now you are one of the plants.”
“Ship” ensues with a dreamily melodic captivation, while lyrics regard the titular ship as an escape from a land filled with fire and tumult. The album’s enveloping opening one-two punch enthralls in its evolution from scene-setting narration into a subsequent chamber-pop introspection, where magnetic vocals embrace expressive singing following the opener’s more stately narration.
The beautiful “Ocean Stream” is another standout track. Spacey synths glimmer into an emotive vocal declaration, melding aptly with the starry-eyed instrumentation — “always looking through my window … looking for a comet or a shooting star.” Subsequent acoustic strums and a twinkling reflection carry alongside multiple vocal layers, intertwining with gorgeous entrancement. The album consistently dazzles in its construction of serenely enticing soundscapes and mellow yet sating structural progressions.
Personal, resonating lyrics often accompany textural builds of ravishing strings and dreamy keys/synths. “You can’t run away from yourself,” Bauman sings on the affecting “The Chase.” That line plays as a cathartic, empowering refrain throughout as a fusing of gentle acoustics, shimmering strings, and pulsing piano unfolds with seamless impact. “Waterflowers” also excels in a similarly consuming dream-pop realm, where the “fly beside you” vocal adorations infuse within twanging guitars and blissful synths. Tears of the Sea is a riveting success in quality songwriting and atmospheric immersion from Watercolored.
