Alibi Coast

iTunes Review

Listening to the luminous Alibi Coast, it’s easy to forget that Sebastian Blanck first made a name for himself with the electronic noise unit Black Dice. This finely wrought singer/songwriter project is definitely an old-school offering. Blanck’s high-tenor vocals are in the sweetly wistful mode of Art Garfunkel, Iain Matthews and similar folk/pop troubadours. His lyrical blend of oblique confession and vivid, nature-based imagery likewise has a ‘60s-era ring. If Blanck draws upon the past, he uses his materials to construct highly personal, often affecting music that transcends his influences. “Tumbling Skies,” “Empire of the Free” and “Thunder” are gorgeous creations, carried by Blanck’s soaring vocals and expansive, acoustic-based arrangements. Themes of loss and longing give “I Blame Baltimore,” “Black Sanded Beach” and “Nothing Left to Lose” a heart-tugging quality. Blanck gets jazzy on “One Sided Town” and adds gospel overtones to “Cloud Lining.” Several female vocalists — especially Becky Stark on “Don’t Let the Darkness Gather Me” — add to the album’s richness.