Calgary, Alberta-based artist Shea Michael captivates across Drowning In Atlantis, a cohesive debut album chronicling dislocation, growth, and emotional renewal. Across moody alt-pop atmospheres and dynamic infusions, the project reflects on home, heartbreak, and forward motion, designed as an immersive, story-driven journey through personal transformation.
A brief yet impactful opener, “Crossroad” struts a magnetic sense of melodic introspection — the vocals lamenting being “caught in a spiral” and being “far from home” as an array of pulsing rhythms and debonair guitar lines intertwine. “Gasoline” follows with a peppier, breezy alt-pop fixation, its “sipping on gasoline” hookiness excelling as brisk vocals, twangy guitars, and booming bass enamor. “Down that broken road I travel, with no way to get back home,” the vocals continue, referencing “home” just as the opener did — and in turn emphasizing a thematic vigor with personal renewal and change at the forefront.
Another standout track, exemplary of the project’s emotive songwriting, “Moments” reminisces with a hazy, nostalgic pull. “I miss those moments,” the vocals let out amidst a late-night R&B pop styling with grimy, delectable washes of guitar. “Now I’m in a new location, but I still miss those days when we were just hanging,” continues the reckoning with growing older, then stirring in Merkules’ hip-hop delivery — emphasizing focus and paying it forward, rather than chasing the exciting yet fleeting highs of the past. Shea Michael’s songwriting consistently excels in its relatable, yearning sense — paired with replay-inducing, melodic productions — and “Moments” is certainly exemplary of such.
An exceptional, cinematic production is apparent on the album’s title track. A submerged vocal effect proves apt, resembling a ghostly call in asking “can you hear me, beneath the surface, calling out for you?” The lyricism enthralls, conveying a loss of direction following heartbreak. The title-bearing chorus invigorates, touting a refrain with shades of trip-hop in the vocal tone, spine-tingling strings, and understated guitar. The verses cast a soundscape akin to a lonesome, sleeping city, escalating as more contemplative analysis of self drive into the solemn realization: “I can’t fix the damage from the things I’ve done.” It makes for another shining example of gripping songcraft from Shea Michael.
An abundance of highlights continue throughout, particularly in regards to atmosphere. “The Other Side” revels in a nocturnal entrancement, as murky guitar tones and lyrical references to “darkness” and ensuing cathartic peace make for a moody gem. On the flipside, “No Place Like Home” plays as one of the more tonally warming efforts on the album, reminiscing on home — like the earlier tracks — though with a more positive embracing of change and resolution, as fluttering guitar jangles and comforting vocals combine. “Where We Are” then concludes the album with spirited allure, beckoning to “let down your guard” and embrace the universality of personal scars. Balancing moody introspection and uplifting charisma, Drowning In Atlantis is a fantastic album from Shea Michael.
