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Maritime is a power pop band that features Davey Von Bohlen and Dan Didier of the Promise Ring and Eric Axelson of the Dismemberment Plan. I was excited to hear something new from Von Bohlen, but a little skeptical after the experimental layered ambience of the last Promise Ring album, Wood/Water. Interestingly though, Glass Floor, the new full length from Maritime, is not the next logical step after Wood/Water but instead seems to be the next logical step after Very Emergency, the Promise Ring album prior to Wood/Water.

The album is not as stripped down or fuzzy sounding as Very Emergency, but is also not as textured and subdued as Wood/Water. The tone is a happy medium of bouncy pop with catchy hooks and melodies that still finds time to experiment with extra instrumentation like horns and keys. Von Bohlen’s signature, sometimes quirky, sometimes strikingly poetic lyrics are also present. Lines like, “we’re kicking everybody out/ because the party’s getting way too loud/ and the kid in the back is tearing all of my posters down/ now the Cars are saying ‘shake it up’/ but I’ve been shaken up enough,” shows Von Bohlen’s sense of humor is still in tact while lines like, “my life is marathon our milk and honey days are gone/ the short waves have taken the long way home/ the four corners are neatly folded sound the bell/ the war is over/ walls are just sand and paper and sin,” show Von Bohlen’s penchant for interjecting complex lyrical content into an otherwise simple pop song.

You may be assuming that Maritime is simply a Promise Ring clone, but it’s not. Von Bohlen has shed all of his emo song writing skills for a more mature pop sound. Maritime’s songs may be the most well crafted ones he has ever written. They may not be extremely intricate or groundbreaking, but they are well written, catchy enough to hum along too, and, like a lot of Von Bohlen's past material, fun.



People who liked this also liked:
Maritime - We, The VehiclesGet Up Kids - Something To Write Home AboutAlkaline Trio/Hot Water Music - SplitThe Lawrence Arms - The Greatest Story Ever ToldThe Lawrence Arms - Oh! Calcutta!Hot Water Music - No DivisionLeatherface/Hot Water Music - Split CDMaritime - Heresy and the Hotel ChoirJoan Of Arc - Joan Of Arc, Dick Cheney, Mark Twain...Jawbreaker - Dear You



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    Posted by i-type-poorly on 2004-06-10 18:30:25
    My Score:

    I saw this band with The Weakerthans. Happiest band in the world. I mean the music wasn't anything mind blowing, but it was like audio prozac. Everyone was liking it with a smiles on their faces. Won't buy the cd though...

    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, June 10, 2004 at 4:02 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    The played in Toronto for about 15 people, and to see musicians, who are used to playing for much bigger crowds, rip through an energetic set was very refreshing. I like the album, and think Davey is just one of those people that scene-sters love to drag down.

    www.herohill.com

    Posted by viceroymonarch on 2004-06-09 13:11:27
    My Score:

    Aint heard it yet, but I loved them live last year and loved the EP. I'm going to pick this up.

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, June 9, 2004 at 4:46 AM (EDT)
    My Score:

    this is shitty crap

    Posted by Jesse on 2004-06-09 01:42:36
    My Score:

    You mean "stuff that Davey has worked on."

    This album definitely deserves a 7. It's not great, but it grows on you.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, June 8, 2004 at 11:51 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    This score is for the comment below me.

    I love how insecure little fan-boys and fan-girls get bent out of shape whenever someone doesn't share their opinion... it's also amazing how frequently they resort to the same simple-minded retorts about "scene points" or "trying to seem cool" or a billion other generic responses.

    I like "Nothing Feels Good" because it's the best of the Cap'n Jazz-Promise Ring-Maritime family of albums. Everything before was too hit-or-miss and everything after was missing the same energy and the overall product quality. Sure, the "punk" thing to do would be to suffer in silence, but I'm still hoping that Promise Ring will reunite and release another great album - something unlikely to happen as long as the tool bandwagon continues to sing Maritime's undeserved praises.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, June 8, 2004 at 8:15 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    i love this record. good review, though i disagree on some points. i think maritime is the next logical step after wood/water, but to each his own.

    and to that guy who said 'nothing feels good' was a fluke good record...using terms like "nothing but diminishing returns" doesnt make you sound smart. it makes you look like a jackass who acts too cool to like anything but the "old stuff"

    Posted by jrh on 2004-06-08 17:19:40
    My Score:

    It gets a little tiresome towards the end, simply because they have two kinds of songs so far - peppy or not so peppy - but all in all I really like the album and this band.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, June 8, 2004 at 3:57 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    i saw them last night in boston and it ruled, an energetic, fun show and great tunes!

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, June 8, 2004 at 2:42 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    "Nothing Feels Good" is one of my favorite albums. But when I finally heard mp3s of Maritime I realized that "Nothing Feels Good" was nothing more than a once in a lifetime musical accident foreshadowed by occasional brilliance and followed by nothing but diminishing returns.

    Bottom line: this sucks.

    Posted by travis on 2004-06-08 13:46:14
    My Score:

    i love this album.

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