From the Sea to the Land Beyond is British Sea Power’s powerful, largely-instrumental 2012 soundtrack to Penny Woolcock’s acclaimed documentary short film of the same name, which explores the history of the British coastline (and, by extension, its people) since the turn of the 20th century using footage found in the national archives. Like the film itself, the soundtrack ranges from nostalgic ennui, to near-delirious delight, to dark and brooding explorations of human mortality. Consisting of new material along with reworked themes and tunes from the band’s back catalog, the haunting, orchestral album stands alone as a nice statement within British Sea Power’s eclectic career. Recorded in Brighton and mixed by Ken Thomas (Sigur Ros, Daughter, M83, Cocteau Twins, Moby), this vinyl 2LP edition comes complete with an accompanying DVD of Woolcock’s film.
