Words: Bobby Brunner
Let me start off by saying that I wish I would have listened to The Dead Ships when they released their first 8 track LP in 2011, titled Ocean. Oh well, I guess they made a new fan, only looking forward to whatever they have in store.
Personally, I love the passion that is behind any singer that can pull off an appealing nasal tone to his or her voice. Singer John Gill beautifully coexists with the guitar noise, collaborating with the poppy drum grooves. When listening to their new release Dead Empires, I’m truly taken back through time to capture the construction of post punk, with perhaps, better production and effect capabilities.
Like any post punk album I feel rather melancholy, while remaining physically uplifted when you hear the snap of the snare drum mixed with the busy hi hat in the background, whilst the bass guitar drives the song along. I kept finding myself nodding my head with each song, trying to hold back my inner teenage angst that conveys a subtle dance move across my living room floor. Only to eventually stop myself so I can continue listening to the music. After I had listened through “When the Rain Falls”, which is the 4th track on the LP, I gave up and let the music control my head bobbing and my jittery legs.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/186270146″ /]What I started noticing during the beginning of “Nuovo”, the track following “When the Rain Falls”, were the heavy psychedelic, breakdowns in each of their songs. Well it’s definitely more noticeable in “Nuovo” when the guitar is left alone on top of a simple, driving pattern. I highly recommend listing to this track with headphones, at very high volumes.
This album isn’t going to get you jumping around your house like a maniac at a house show for some garage punk band, so don’t get me wrong. However I’m sure you will be very pleased to hear the well put together music that this band was able to create. There are moments where a deep breath is much needed in order to just articulate the intricate motions of the guitar riffs in correlation with John’s spacey voice. But then there are moments to let go, and find yourself moving effortlessly, with spontaneous bursts of energy. With that I congratulate this incredibly talented four piece band for creating an album I will be listening to over the next few days, which, knowing myself, will turn into weeks, then months, and eventually years, as long as they keep creating some fine music!
0 Comments