I slept on Manatees' promotional disc for a very long time and I'm extremely sorry I did so. Their untitled release, or the lengthy The Forever Ending Jitter Quest of Slow Hand Chuckie: An Introduction to the Manatee is an ethereal and simultaneously heavy release.
Their press sheet sums up the band's sound quite well: "The band name was chosen because of the eponymous creature's size and weight, yet grace and placidity - a sleeping giant, and a dying species under threat."
The music of Manatees is in the same vein of Isis, but does not mimic their sound in the least bit. The band cites groups such as Swans, Neurosis, Pink Floyd, Old Man Gloom and Boris as their musical influences; using these artists as their musical guides, Manatees have created a refreshing album. They sound like an original brand of drone, combining repetition, trailing percussion, many different vocal styles, and lengthy tracks.
Manatees' debut album offers five songs, numbered by roman numerals. "I" seems to flow like a flooded river over several different landscapes of sound, through a tributary of musical descent and right into a sea of lonely percussion; this journey takes over fifteen minutes, but it's only the beginning. "II" starts with a subtle transition from "I" - I didn't notice the song changed until I looked at my CD player. Vocals dominate "II" more than any other song on the album. Later songs feature bits of clean guitar and calm sounds that eventually grow to mammoth-like resonations. Slowly but surely, the songs blend into each other, creating an album that needs to be listened to as a whole. When a band can produce an album that is incredibly cohesive, you know it is worth your time.
I'm truly surprised I haven't heard of Manatees before (maybe because they're from the UK), as they've played with Envy and Oxbow, who recently toured with Isis. I encourage you to listen to Manatees if you appreciate original and experimental music (you should) or if you enjoy any musical artist in the "post-metal" genre. The Forever Ending Jitter Quest of Slow Hand Chuckie: An Introduction to the Manatee is worth your precious time.
See also
Tides, Pelican, Isis, Boris
