"Michael Plaster's heart-wrenching lamentations on "Eating the Sea" is the most powerful ambient, sad-core album to date. Anyone who has ever felt anything of the same magnitude as Michael will surely never fail to relate to his sorrowful musings. This is extremely emotional music. Very stirring and not recommended for those not willing to scavenge the strings of their heart for the true matter within. Destructive."
...
eri_chan@hotmail.com | 06/23/1998
(5 out of 5 stars)
"soul whirling somewhere's michael plaster records the type of music that gives you a belly ache, because he reminds you of how empty we all may feel sometimes. this record is beyond beautiful, and in all honesty takes the listener to a place he/she does not WANT to be, yet knows it is necessary to be there every once in a while. the instrumental tracks ("one of these days some eyes will be opened", "flightless") are absolutely astonishing, and when michael adds his vocals, his words swirl (or whirl i suppose) right along with his synth tracks. not for the faint of heart, but highly recommended to the heartbroken."
Soul-Whirling Perfection
gillettecourt | 01/26/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"It's quite amazing that this is only Michael Plaster's first CD. It has the kind of sound that would take other artists years to perfect. I would describe it as Dark Ambient/Ethereal Sadcore. Think of the reverbed beauty of American Music Club's "Everclear" combined with the dark depression of the Red House Painter's "Down Colorful Hill". Any fan of sad, beautiful, or ethereal music must have this CD. The lyrics of "Eating the Sea" are among Plaster's most poetic, and the music is among his darkest. The combination of lush synth pads, strummed acoustic guitar, phased/flanged electric guitar, and swirling, reverbed, low-mixed vocals are perfect. The opening instrumental is very reminiscent of Barber's Adagio, and the following song is probably my favorite on the CD (along with the fourth song). I don't know what else to say. BUY IT!!!"
Bleak genius
Alli | UK | 12/18/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If ever there were a peice of music just perfect to be the soundtrack to suicide, this is it. Fortunately, the incredible, trancendant beauty of Michael Plaster's voice and music is likely to keep you from offing yourself just long enough to listen to the album 200 times in a row and maybe, by that time, someone'll come save you. ;-)There is nothing else on Earth quite like SoulWhirlingSomewhere. The depth of emotion in this tragic/hopeful/melancholy/desperate composition is equalled only by Mozart's Moonlight Sonata, and maybe Barber's Adagio for Strings, op. 11."