There can be no doubt: the Black Sea's debut three-song CDep is nothing short of a tantalizing tease, although it more than stands on its own. The blustery release serves partially as a portent of things to come. In anticipation of a full length album to be released in 2003, the ensemble, featuring members of Frodus and Fugazi, has emerged with a trio of solid tunes that cement the group as being wholly engaging and utterly substantial.

The songs illustrate the technical and songwriting prowess along The Black Sea's dark spectrum. Dim and enigmatic, the group creates an atmosphere propelled by a ferociously compact rhythm section and enhanced by a sole wafting voice. The roiling and tumbling of the Joe Lally's bass and Jason Hamacher's drums create a thick veil which Shelby Cinca's plaintive voice pierces effortlessly and tirelessly.

The Black Sea is a project both brooding and intimate; their songs churn violently without reeling out of control. An auspicious start and a mastery of measured upheaval, these three memorably crafted songs point towards something starker and more forbidding.