Artists have never been more spoilt for options when it comes to creating. Black Sea Storm has opted to purposely create challenging conditions for “İsmimi Bulutlardan Aldım” not because it was easy but because the struggle can be felt by listeners.
If anything, Black Sea Storm’s music echoes tradition within a modern landscape. “İsmimi Bulutlardan Aldım” (or “I was named after the clouds”) is a travel album. It doesn’t merely allude to the benefits of hitting the road and discovering the world. It was recorded with a minimalist setup while doing this exact same thing.
An artist must document their immediate impression or risk losing them. Album opener “Kirli Duman” (translated to “Dirty Smoke”) aims to do just this. Speaking the Turkish language is as important as knowing what Edgar Degas had had for breakfast before starting painting.
“Aramızda Duvarlar Var” meanwhile captures the often manic nature of self-imposed nomadic living with its continual electro percussion and almost Thom Yorke-like vocals.
Musically, 90s alternative rock seems to be Black Sea Storm favourite point of reference. It’s a natural choice but also a wise one, with this style favouring the acoustic guitar backing featured on many of the tracks here.
“Yedi Günlük Balina,” “Yılanlı Kapı,” or “Işıklı Kapı” could’ve easily been songs written during the grunge era. The songwriting is certainly geared toward the same dramatic territory. But while other singers might’ve naturally let the songs drift toward a pleasing pop-influenced conclusion, the chesty baritone recorded over these brings out an almost spiritual direction.
For some, travelling is a celebratory experience, and, sadly, one that can’t be embraced very often. For others, it is a natural part of self-discovery that includes a fair dose of anguish. “Durma“ (meaning “Don’t Stop”) reflects the songwriter’s tribulations within a sound that seems to suggest that the road to enlightenment is never guaranteed to be an easy one.
The full weight of this is felt on “Bipolar Kutup Ayısı,” a grungey meditation of nostalgia and appreciation for time lost. In a way, this gives the best measure of the album. These are songs about winning the day and, at the very same time, mourning the inevitable turn of light to darkness.
