Decline Of British Sea Power, The - British Sea Power

This album is brilliant.

I thought I'd start this review by saying that before I went into further talks on what it contains, because quite simply I love it. I'll do my best to avoid a fan bias, but I can assure you that when I first saw & heard these guys I was as unsure as you might be. I'm not one to go for fads or get interested in a band for their gimmicks-so I was delighted to discover this band have more to like than their gimmicks. ...
...offbeat ways have merely been defined so by the mainstream industry.

You may be confused about what I mean. Well if you ever see pictures or footage of this band performing, then you'll understand. Dressed in WW1 military attire, this band dominate the stage with more than just a defiant presence, but assorted foliage and stuffed birds too. 'They're just trying to be odd' you say 'a gimmick to look original'. Well no,, I have discovered ... more

This album is brilliant.

I thought I'd start this review by saying that before I went into further talks on what it contains, because quite simply I love it. I'll do my best to avoid a fan bias, but I can assure you that when I first saw & heard these guys I was as unsure as you might be. I'm not one to go for fads or get interested in a band for their gimmicks-so I was delighted to discover this band have more to like than their gimmicks. In fact, they have no gimmicks at all, their slightly offbeat ways have merely been defined so by the mainstream industry.

You may be confused about what I mean. Well if you ever see pictures or footage of this band performing, then you'll understand. Dressed in WW1 military attire, this band dominate the stage with more than just a defiant presence, but assorted foliage and stuffed birds too. 'They're just trying to be odd' you say 'a gimmick to look original'. Well no,, I have discovered the aren't. They're a complex band signed to an indie label, hence they're making releases to broadcast their music and not to earn vast sums of cash. And not even in a modest "if we say we're all about the music and have a facade that we don't want fame or money, then we're sure to earn more fame and money" way. They've a cult following, a host of lyal fans, and their happy with that. They want to be this band, prasied by few for being themselves rather than liked by many for being something else.

Well I've gone on enough about them wanting to bethemselves, so you may ask what is this persona they are so proud to defend? Well as this is a music review, best we look at the CD...

~~~THE CD~~~
In a small plain digipak, with simple writing, a few symbols and a single quote, it doesn't stand out. It has no inlay, no pictures, and no attractive colour to it. It sits on the shelf saying "here I am, small but powerful and immensely beautiful. You may overlook me and dislike me, but it is of consequence. I will continue to be myself", and this is represented in the music. Throughout the 11 tracks the attitude is of a young but wonderfully mature band, who are not the world's biggest extroverts. But they have someting to say, and not merely for the sake of saying it. It is not a shy sound, but the sound of music made for the band's sake, and we are priveleged to be able to join it. Their attitude says, like the disc and case itself "we are unique, proud and powerful, but we don't hype ourselves to be so. If you disagree, then you don't have to listen", without the usual rock and roll embaressment of "we are Gods, if you don't like it then f**k off".

~~~THE MUSIC~~~(quite detailed descitpions of some songs, but each is rated individually with a few lines at the end to say why if you don't fancy reading it all)

1) (MEN TOGETHER TODAY) The CD opens with a short, eerie opening, a mournful few seconds of a ghostly voice chorus. Such a track shouldn't be viewed so much as a song in iteslef (i.e. it would make no sense if listening to the CD on 'random' play). but rather as an introduction to the next track, which can be trimmed off at will. Hence it is difficult to rate. ?/10

2) (APOLOGIES TO INSECT LIFE) Track 1 works as a wonderful intro into this song for the sheer contrast of it, and one can hear instantly that this CD is an album of 11 parts, not a merely collection of 11 songs thrown together. As the ghostly chorus dies down, a dirty bass hook begins playing, and as the drums shake into it, the listener is instantly aware they are in for a treat. As Yan (the lead singer)'s vocal scream in, you feel instantly intimidated, and feel that a distressed 40-year old is threatening you (it is a surprise to see their live shows consisting of four serious people in their 20's, intent on concentrating so hard). Then the wialing guitars kick in, and you have to jump and scream about. Far from a happy tune, it is more the sort of anger-induced mayhem that one would hear when single handedly demolishing a room, but it is oh-so-powerful, and stands out on the album instantly. A bit of a ska-ey, grungey sound, but it certainly grabs your attention 8/10

3) (FAVOURS IN THE BEETROOT FIELDS) As the beat slows on track 2, and the guitars die down, you feel that the frustration of the performer has worn him out and he has died (with the song) of exhaustion (such is the energy of it), then, with four sharp drumbeats symbolic of short drawn breaths, they pick up again, and the music picks up in such a way that you'd have to observe you Hi-Fi display in order to notice a track transition-the energy is the same but you are not tedious of the sound as it is somewhat different musically, and is however shortlived. A repeated high pitch muttering from Yan makes this song seem like the sound form an insane asylum, with pounding running bass line that you humn along to intimidatingly, and feedback ridden guitars, this song screams bloody murder at you and then ends as abruptly as it started. The first three tracks may well have been one, such is their blend, but their is something different about all of them. Depsite this raw energy and mortal anger, one does not feel they are listening to a heavy-metal outfit or a band of new-wave goth 'musicians' who get their kicks from wishing death upon contorversial figures in a tirade of incomprehnsible expleteives. No, you get the feeling of great intelligence and wanting to listen what this band of young indie musicians have to say, Infact, listening to the lyrcis you will notice that they are free from token expletives and form wonderful poetry...but more about that later. 6/10

4) (SOMETHING WICKED) The realisation that this band can do mellow and thoughtful dawns as the washing of organny keyboards the the vocals begin whipsering to you, Some may think it seems like a poem to a musical backdrop. As it enters into the chorus the song gets a bit more sing-song, but still meanignful, (lines such as 'it starts with love for foliage and ends with camoflauge' show the band have done a lot of thinking) and as the beat picks up into the second chrous your foot taps and you nod your head without realising that you are liking the diverse sound. No wailing guitar solo but a short disitinctive song with a repetitive main message and the continuation of somewhat eery organ sounds. Unlikely to be listed as a favourite track, but its gentle tones give the listen time to relax and convalsesce before the definitive next tune...5/10

5) (REMEMBER ME) *Chuckn Chuckn*..... coughs the first guitar, and then again as the drums begin to trot faster, and once more as another guitar hums loudly down the neck...and then u hear yourself count '1234' without any inckling...and suddnely...another guiat wails on top...you are mesmorised by this hypnotic tune, with every instument in the group wailing together as if they all have their own stories to tell in chours...o what a tune!
Ok so that may b an unnecessarily descriptive intro to the song, but it really is a class tune. After getting into the band on 'Apologies To Insect Life', this was the song that quickly became my favourite, and I'd say now it is my most played track in my extensive CD collection. Its a rock-out tune without being a heavy-distortion ridden screamfest, it contains a wailing solo with deep and complimetary rhythm guitar beats, a very deep (lyrically) and controlled vocal performance in the verse, building with bass and drums in the bridge...into a chantable chorus questioning 'Ahah, Remember Me? Ah Remember Me? Do You Remember Meeeeee?!'. After another scream of the lead guitar it goes back into an moving upbeat verse, bridge and chorus again, before wailing into another guitar scream, the chorus again, and then a beat-beat-beat-beat end to the song, leaving you exhausted but begging for more after just 3 minutes and 10 seconds. I fail to see how a fan of guitar music cant love this upbeat and rokcing tune. 9.9/10 (just because nothings perfect lol!)

6) (FEAR OF DROWNING) A washing sound of waves on the shore. Then affter a subtley powerful and seeming angry start of echoey guitars, quick running drums and lingering bass...the verse calms down into almost a whipsering taunt in a smiliar way to Track 4, except in a darker way, and as the singer sobs "There's a fear of drowning" to the listener, the similar chorus continues with vocals talking about the beauty of English shores..one of many marine references from the band/ After this, there are hushed crying guitars that seem to be trying to escape the watery bounds of an island, and furthered whispered laments, before the guiatr bursts in a solo to cry its troubles like the singer. A beautiful song with great use of all aspects of guitar sound in a gentle yet very powerful way. (6/10)

7) (THE LONELY) Some nice humming, bending, head-swaying guitar greets you into this mellow yet again beautiful song as Yan once again waex lyrical on the poetic side of life, over shaking drums, humming bass, and hushed effect-ful guitar. Writing reviews for these songs makes them (tracks 4,5 & 7 I mean) sound similar but they are indeed unique both in sound and content. The gentle rhythm continues as the lyrics declare 'I'll drink all day and play by night upon my Casio electric piano", the sound of which then plink-plonks its way melodically in as in one of the most moving moments of the album we hear the whisper over near-silence of "I will reutrn to haunt you with perculiar piano riffs", before the cirlcing humming guitar begins again. Haunting is indeed the word, but a very profound and thought provoking sound at the same time, as we go on to hear statements lyrcially such as "I will not ealk half-deceased, I believe bravery exists". One of the best of the mellower tracks. 7/10

8) (CARRION) A great blend of the mellow and the rocky, this is song that many would know BSP by, appearing on some compilations I believe. With quite a gentle pace it nevertheless opens with quite a dancey type warbling quitar riff and shuffling drums & bass, which continue as the singer goes on to make great lyrical lines such as "from Scappa Flow to Rotherhide, I felt the lapping of an ebbing tide"...continuing the theme of the sea right through the album, band & song (that has the chorus about the brilliance of the sea), then through more tiwtching guitar a melodic chours enters with harmonic chorus synths in the background. This is probably one of the most radio-friendly of songs on the album (even with such abstarct lyrics as my favourite ""My soul!" She cired, "I thought you'd died, amid fumes of formaldehyde!""), as its head jangling guitars and stepping bass really gets you sdhaking and singing, another stand-out track. 8/10

9) (BLACKOUT) A slower tune in a mellow style but in a far different way from the other slower album tunes, this is the sort you can imagine a single man playing on an acoustic set. A single piano tune introduces us, which continues with ever such a faint whisper of guitar accompaniying it, this is far from a rock out song...definitely one for a chillout and not in a haunting or anger-ridden way either. A beautfiful chorus (from a different vocalist this time, although it is not a dramatic difference) is memorable quite instantly and is a standout quite soon on the album. Hard to make comparisons to other bands or songs again but it is in keeping with the style of the band whilst being different in its lack of guitar work...a very nice soft tune 7/10

10) (LATELY) At an epic 13 minutes and 58 seconds, one may presume this song drags but it really doesnt seem that long, A slow picking acoustic guitar starts us off, which is built on by soft bass and intermittent drums as the vocals begin their story, things then pick up in volume for a chorus-of-sorts with the background of melodic feedback giving it the BSP edge, quite an anthemic moment, before we return to the gentle intro again for another verse, and the anthemic bit again that one can imagine might have cigarrete lighters waved to it (its apparently a favourite live, even if it doesnt seem to stand out straight away on the album). After the guitar then slowly and delicately picks its way across the neck again, rushing for no-one. A chior-like guitar that has that indescribable BSP sound then comes in, in a way that make you forget its a guitar being played but more of just a sound fitting to the mood of the song, as the beat of the drum gets louder and the vocals continue travelling, as fi you're being beckoned to follow them on a journey line-by-line, before the chorus once more. The things get interesting, as the bass and piano whisper to each other in another moment telling you the song is anything but rushed for a good minute or so, before a soft yet heavily distoreted voice asks us in the background of the music "Do you like my neolithic rock?" and similar lines over again, while the piano does more and more over the top, and the overall volume of things increase as things build to a head with all the very soft instruments, the climax of the song as the line is repeated again and again in a distressed call beneath the battling yet gentle music...a guitar or two then begins to play up and down in the same way as the piano, very powerful but not at all domineering, as if the fingers on the keys and the fretboard are just taking a gentle stroll, picking up pace at certain times towards the end in a steady and exciting way. Things then calm down as the instruments come to rest once more and you feel they just had something to get off their chest. An epic tune which could easily have been terrible but is controlled in such a relaxed way that as it climaxes at the end you feel the quarter of an hour went by in two minutes. Great stuff 7/10

11) (A WOODEN HORSE) A rap-a-tap-tapping drum/bass line sounds like a weary traveller at your door on a cold wet night, and the slow and moving song flows with very gentle single notes from a clean guitar in the background, onto a repeated chorus, and sparse music between moments of near-silence as soft notes are left to ring. A jangling piano slowly accompanies but this tune never leaves its trundling gentle path, right up until the end as Yan sings his final note and leaves it to softly ring out to you... . Not an award-winning song but a very calm close to the album, that tidies things up nicely, another chillout tune if you are lying on your bed or sofa with a lot on your mind. 5/10 (and not in a way that would make you turn the album off before it came to a bad close, its just if I had to I'd rate other songs above it. You'll wanna let this album carry on telling its story for ever...)

~~~THE OVERALL VERDICT~~~Despite the 14-minute wonder and all the other various bits this is not a long album (around 45 minutes), nor does it seem to drag out. I find the most useful thing in reviews like this is to find bands to compare to so readers will know if it is the right style for them. I have yet to find a band matching BSPs distinctive, unique, yet not-too-far-from-mainstream sound. If you are a fan of softer indie rock, slightly eclectic styles, and clean cut rock tunes then they will be great for you. If you're in the ballpark of loving profound, meanigful, and very artistic lyrics then this is definitely for you too. Not an album full of 11 chart-top-worthy tracks, obviously. But each tune has its place, and its a good one.

Musically, this is a guitar ridden infusion of heavy rock and gentle indie ballads. They only comparisons I've heard of is with the more abtract workings of Echo & The Bunnymen, but their is certainly no modern band they can be likened to. If your into a slihglty off mainstream, unique and intelligent band with great sounds and great words, then have a listen, Noones promising you'll like it, but even if it isn't to your tastes its hard to fault once you've listened through. It is the best album I'be bought this year, and possibly ever, but thats my opinion. I've found it's surpassed everything else in my collection for originality, and lends a new light to itself on every listen. Easy to get into (you don't have to play it 50 times in order to distinguish tracks from each other) but with great lastibility (you find something knew you like (or even dislike perhaps) on each listen). I just love it. Whther you want to be a part of their following for their bizzarre ways (I avoid the term gimmicks, beacuse they do not use them to attract fans), or their musical power, then you'll find something here you like.

Excuse the long review, but this is an album that gives you a lot to talk about, like it or not. This indie band ARE an indie band. Not one of those rock bands signed to a major label defined indie by their unique guitar tuning and claims that its aboutn the music for them. British Sea Power truly exclaim this feeling in their wailings, and by being a unique detatchment from the music scene they ironically give hope ot it. Here is a band who know what they're talking about. If you'd like to know, then please have a listen.

Aaron :)

(To learn more about the band and just what I mean by their slightly offbeat ways visit http://www.biritshseapower.co.uk and the num,erous fan sites linked from there...look out for a new album in April too) 

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