Sinking Ships

Sinking Ships: DisconnectingDisconnecting (2006)
Revelation Records

Reviewer Rating: 4

User Rating:

Contributed by: InaGreendaseBrian
(others by this writer | submit your own)
Published on July 18th 2006More and more these days, it seems like it doesn't take very long for a hardcore band to really find their sound. Granted, many of them never really last far beyond their initial recordings, but these same bands seemed to really find their voice early on. Sinking Ships' Disconnecting could be the.

More and more these days, it seems like it doesn't take very long for a hardcore band to really find their sound. Granted, many of them never really last far beyond their initial recordings, but these same bands seemed to really find their voice early on.

Sinking Ships' Disconnecting could be the pinnacle of this very idea.

Frontman Danny Hesketh is the sibling of Jim Hesketh, vocalist for the now defunct Champion, and that could be one of the reasons the band has always had that comparative shadow hanging over their heads. It's safe to say that while the band is likely to find that RIYL stuck at the end of most reviews for Disconnecting (as well as Bane, Stay Gold and In My Eyes), they'll avoid any dismissals because of it this time around. The band's brand of emotional hardcore is far more progressive than any of those bands, providing a dynamic sorely missing in their peers with a guitar tone that requires chiropractic attention the nods to latter-era Turning Point are so strong, not to mention the healthy usage of briefly worded song titles and heartfelt, open lyrics.

Lyrically, the band suffers from a few blunt missteps that plagued their EP compilation, Meridian. However, it's really just 2 similarly silly moments, both occurring in the first 2 tracks: "Give Up" ("To the ones who never felt this way / Fuck the ones that never felt this way") and "Auburn" ("It was colder then (Well fuck back then)"). Otherwise, the band weaves tales of outright desperation, foregoing generic posi sloganeering and straight-edge posturing in exchange for dark suicide notes ("I can't expect you to cut loose every noose I wrap around myself" in "Comfort") and, like Modern Life Is War, small town analysis ("These open fields are an easy bed to lay down and die in"). Greyscale liner notes contribute to the melancholic effect well.

There really isn't even really a mediocre song to be found here, either. However, standouts would have to be the well written, mid-tempo reflection of "Ghost Story," the absolutely attention-grabbing breakdown of "Shadows," the excellent cameo from Shook Ones' Scott Freeman in "The Next Time I Go" (despite the horrible compression on his vocals audible on a good pair of headphones), the fake intro giving way to the absolutely raw and pounding guitars and drums in "Give Up," and the pure emotion of "Comfort." Though, the best two tracks that more or less bookend the album really shine. "Auburn" is one of the best songs the band's written yet, Hesketh frequently speeding up and slowing down his delivery during the verses, a perfect guitar tune transition to the chorus and, well, a fantastic chorus, with a bridge that hits an emotional peak and keeps the tempo driving to close it out.

But "Wait"...wow. Modern Life Is War proved for nearly an entire album's worth last year that restraint can go a long way when playing creative, melancholic hardcore punk, and Sinking Ships seemed to get the memo. A lone, perfect guitar riff separated to the right speaker initiates it, a subtle tap on the cymbals steps in momentarily, and then the drums fully kick in and the riff is duplicated. Hesketh begins to spout more proof of confusion and desperation; when he finally confesses "Trying to make some sense of a life spent searching aimlessly / When for us, this is everything," his lines suddenly start trading off with gang vocals saturated in urgency screaming "I WON'T WAIT! I WON'T WAIT FOR NOTHING!." It's a climax that quite literally lasts over a minute, with Hesketh seemingly clutching at nothing and yelling at song's end "Trying / Reaching / Breathing / But still out of breath again / Out of words again / Trying to explain everything / But I can't say anything" before it feels like his words are abruptly cut off.

And it ends.

A song that simply leaves you breathless and wanting more, leading you to realize there's nothing to fulfill this except pressing play again.

With Disconnecting, Sinking Ships have proved themselves to be one of the best, most important hardcore bands going. They take a number of chances on the album all the while taking minor cues from some of the most well-respected acts in their genre. This not only goes a long way towards making a good hardcore album a great one, but proves it may even just be the beginning of things to come.

Outstanding debut.

Auburn
The Next Time I Go

STREAM
Comfort

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Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not respon sible for them in any way. Seriously.

BisonChris (November 19, 2006)

id say the vocals sound more like comeback kid then bane (albeit bane and cbk vocals are similair), aaron bedard is the man btw, but none the less, this is an ill cd, pick it up

boba_fett (July 20, 2006)

the vocals sound just like bane.

joeg (July 20, 2006)

funny, the reason i can get into this record is because they don't sound like comeback kid or champion and aren't one dimensional. i can see the vocal similarities and i'm not big on gang vocals but that's about it.

kirbypuckett (July 20, 2006)

This band is sooooooooooo good. rightrightrightrightright.

- Kirby

Propadummy (July 19, 2006)

This band is crap.

Anonymous (July 19, 2006)

straightedge bands always sound the same

Anonymous (July 19, 2006)

I meant this score

Anonymous (July 19, 2006)

For some reason for all the Champion comparisons I was never able to get into Champion but these guys I was hooked from the first song I heard.

- APK

danperrone (July 19, 2006)

all i see is "suk"

sinkingshipsuk (July 19, 2006)

Check www.myspace.com/sinkingshipsuk for the real Sinking Ships, I see a conflict of names...

Archangel (July 19, 2006)

What should I get: this album or "Sundowning"?

Anchors (July 19, 2006)

Oh, also, score's for Stay Gold.

Anonymous (July 18, 2006)

I have, I live in Seattle, I hear them all the time. And they sound the same. Many have agreed. Sorry, deal with it.

Anonymous (July 18, 2006)

"I hear this band way too much around here. Sorry guys, I get Champion, Comeback Kid, and Sinking Ships totally confused. I'm almost positive it's the same band. I mean, there really is no difference between songs......"

Well you get the "deaf retard of the day" award.
I mean, have you listened to any of those bands?!

-b. styles

thirtyseconds (July 18, 2006)

Well, if I could afford CDs I would buy this. Night lads

Anonymous (July 18, 2006)

This Ship Will Sink is fucking sick.

I havent heard this band but i might chick them out.

-sirens

onegirlarmy (July 18, 2006)

Good album, good band.

Anchors (July 18, 2006)

Posted by kirbypuckett on 2006-07-18 09:14:11
...the review was better when I read it w/ your Long Island accent though.

Ahahahahahhahah

SlowStupidHungry (July 18, 2006)

Of all the times to fuck up my spelling... SANK.

SlowStupidHungry (July 18, 2006)

"I must be missing the boat on this, dont really care for it-oldpunker-"

Perhaps you didn't miss the boat... I'm thinking it SUNK.

Anonymous (July 18, 2006)

I must be missing the boat on this, dont really care for it-oldpunker-

danperrone (July 18, 2006)

i hate how "wait" just ends!!!!

other than that, awesome cd

xtearitdownx (July 18, 2006)

This is a great release, most definitely.

kirbypuckett (July 18, 2006)

Good review, I def. have to check this out.

...the review was better when I read it w/ your Long Island accent though.

- Kirby

jamespastepunk (July 18, 2006)

I cleaned up my W/IFS review for pastepunk and submitted it here, so maybe that's why it's not up yet...

Anonymous (July 18, 2006)

the world inferno record is sooooooooooooooooo good.

I've had mayor of bridgewater stuck in my head since the speak of brave men EP so its about time they got it out.

Is it going to be on vinyl, anyone know?

score is for the world inferno friendship society

wyzo

Anonymous (July 18, 2006)

where the fuck is the world inferno review

Anonymous (July 18, 2006)

Bigwig review?

Anonymous (July 18, 2006)

I hear this band way too much around here. Sorry guys, I get Champion, Comeback Kid, and Sinking Ships totally confused. I'm almost positive it's the same band. I mean, there really is no difference between songs......

pwfanatic (July 18, 2006)

fucking solid release. these guys are awesome.

SlowStupidHungry (July 18, 2006)

This Ship Will Sink is ten times better.

rkl (July 18, 2006)

who are the bronx?

etwiels88 (July 18, 2006)

Not enough people were at the show in Jersey a few months back...

Great band.

joeg (July 18, 2006)

i'm not really a fan of modern hardcore but this record is excellent. there's a lot going on here and not generic filler that have me wanting to skip ahead to the next track. well done guys.

ramo (July 18, 2006)

If it wasn't for This is Hell's "Sundowning", this would've been the hardcore album to beat. Regardless, an outstanding effort. Hopefully this band won't meet the same fate as fellow older "sibling" Champion.

Ramo

tapemarks_and_brakelights (July 18, 2006)

definitely one of the best, if not the best, hardcore albums released this year.

i just put this in for the first time in a while (i left the cd at my friend's house), and i realized now how much i missed not having it.

anyways. this album is fucking great. seriously. i like when hardcore bands aren't always positive.

and the shook ones cameo is awesome.

Anonymous (July 18, 2006)

whats a friday?

colin (July 18, 2006)

where's the bronx review?

inagreendase (July 18, 2006)

TO PRE-EMPT QUESTIONS: The Bronx review goes up Friday.