record reviews:

Maritime

We, The Vehicles

(Flameshovel)

Very rarely does an album come along that produces intelligent lyrics, solid, harmonious sound, and an all-around classically good feel in such a combination that it almost seems too good to be true.  Maritime may just be the band to show the music community what sincere, forceful songwriting should sound like.  On We, The Vehicles, the band’s sophomore album, Maritime drives it home with a real sense of purpose and direction.  The first track, “Calm,” jumps right in with driving beats, harmonious guitar, and lyrics like “We are powerful despite our injuries.”  Fans of bands the Promise Ring or The Dismemberment Plan might not even realize by listening to the album that Maritime includes Davey von Bohlen and Dan Didier (both of The Promise Ring), and bassist Eric Axelson (of The Dismemberment Plan), although Axelson has since left the band.  Anonymity from their past is what the band seems to want, and while their credentials are admirable, their uniqueness as Maritime is even more commendable.  Maritime has become a living, breathing work in its own right, despite its members’ previous beginnings, and this new work is something to be proud of.

Each track on We, The Vehicles has a particularly emotional, fluent tone to it.  A combination of acoustic guitar, keys, and passionate vocals makes the listener want to sing along, feel along, and play it all over again.  The song “German Engineering” is a real work of art, while “Tearing up the Oxygen” creates a beautiful, musical landscape of rollercoaster feelings, and uses lyrics like: “And cars with no remorse/They take the world by force/We wish we could travel so recklessly/And even in our sleep we surrender.”  Perhaps one of the most memorable tracks on the album is the mostly acoustic “No One Will Remember You Tonight.”  The song begins with a driving drumbeat, builds with a layer of rousing acoustic guitar, and adds in smartly sung and poppy vocals.  Every song on We, The Vehicles is a gem, all complimenting the other.  It would be nothing less than a mistake not to add this to any indie rock fan’s collection, and could be in contention as one of the best albums of 2006.

— Michele Fair

www.maritimesongs.com/maritime.html

More by this writer:

The Old Haunts - Fuel on Fire

Swearing at Motorists - Last Night Becomes This Morning

The London Apartments / The Bad Spellers - Fall In Love

Head Like A Kite - Random Portraits of the Home Movie

Read more reviews