Unsparing Sea — In The Diamond Caverns

This Cleveland, Ohio-based five-piece are difficult to classify.

In The Diamond Caverns starts with a twinkling, dream-like intro, then falls into an explosion of sounds — not unlike what you'd find on a Dark Meat album, but at an Arcade Fire pace. That cacophony then gives way to — all in one song, mind you — a violin-fueled Avett Brothers-ish finish. It's perplexing and mesmerizing at the same time.

Later, on the country waltz "Held In The Light," Unsparing Sea sound like a close cousin to the FemBots. Near disc's end, you might mistake them for The Folk Implosion. In their shapeshifting, at least, Unsparing Sea are a lot like the Sian Alice Group.

Overall, In The Diamond Caverns comes off as more aimless than eclectic. It stops dead in its tracks at song nine, the nine-minute slow-burner "Here, Here." It's reminiscent of the havoc Wilco wreaked with "Less Than You Think" on A Ghost Is Born.

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