Review: Seas Of Mirth - Esmerelda EP [2015]

  From the murky waters of Nottingham comes the pirate themed folk band, Seas Of Mirth, who have been..err..making waves (sorry) in the music scene for some years now.

While I was living and studying in Derby, I remember seeing Seas Of Mirth at a very early stage with what I believe is almost a completely different line-up to now. The fiddler was a friend of mine from class. I can't remember if it was the same time, but two other "future" friends were also in the band and are there to this day.

  I never really got the whole pirate theme thing and I am not a fan of folk in general but the band's sense of humour still grabs me. Having grown to a nine piece band, consisting of instruments such as cello, accordion and bouzouki (!), they are still active 8 years, which is both admirable and impressive. 

  The Esmerelda EP, the band's latest offering, delivers 3 different tracks of their weird signature style of folk. The title and leading track is quite a romantic sounding song. Bearing in mind the band's persona and theme and paying closer attention to the lyrics, it seems to be more of an ode from a pirate to his wench. It still has a sea shanty vibe that the band are known for due to the violin and vocals but with an added spaghetti western rhythm. The vocals, sung by Fruitshoot Pete, bring to mind that of Nick Cave, especially in the softly sung parts of the verses.

  The EP changes pace with Hands Off My Chest. As soon as it begins with an a cappella voice declaring "...you will never get your hands on my treasure chest", you know this is going to be a fun song. It bounces along in an almost ska punk way, at times, but ultimately has a very Zappa feel. The midway change not only brings to mind Zappa but also Mr Bungle, as it explores jazz and progressive rock. 

  Final track, Even A Bull Needs Milking, has a catchy accordion hook (first time I've written that sentence) along with a galloping, early Broadway type rhythm a la Putting On The Ritz. The mixed male and female vocals are pretty and the musicianship is spot on, but the song generally isn't as punchy as the previous two, even when it goes frantic. 

  

  Compared to previous releases, the production on this record is immaculate and proves that the band really mean business. They're obviously going to make some people scratch their heads but seeing as folk stylings made a comeback with the likes of Mumford & Sons and Laura Marling, there is certainly more of an audience now who will respect Seas Of Mirth's direction and musical experimentation. I'll certainly be looking forward to the next album. 

3.5/5

NEW FRONT BOTTOMS VIDEOS

     For those not familiar with them, The Front Bottoms are a four-piece band from New Jersey who play thought-provoking indie-tinged pop punk. I saw their name floating about the internet around a year ago and decided to check it out. I found frontman, Brian Sella's, vocal delivery interesting and more importantly, the band writes some catchy up tempo stuff. There are times that I feel as though the lyric writing process is some sort of game of potluck; pulling lines out of a hat and just forcing them together. However, it seems to work and has gained them a massive following, especially through the success of their Talon Of The Hawk (2013) album.

   Back in April, a split with rapper GDP entitled Liberty and Prosperity was released by Run For Cover and Bar/None Records and features new tracks Wolfman and Handcuffs. This week, the band has released a double single, Cough It Out/West Virginia, and a have made a video for each one.

   West Virginia was the first song out of the two that I saw and heard. The video has its fair share of typically pop punk video elements. Fish eye lens? Check. House party? Check. Friends dressed in costumes? Check? Random shots of nothing in particular? Check. However, the black and white and the fact the house party isn't totally full to the brim make the video slightly different from other pop punk house party videos. The song itself, very much like the video, moves around into different sections, all as catchy as the next. The song will have you singing along to both "Right now I'm just a psycho, hell bent on self destruction" and "Love of my life, gone forever.." and those refrains will remain in your head until a severe injury robs you of your memory. It's a fun song with a great video.

   Cough It Out leans towards the band's more folk-punk sound, with a train rhythm pushing the song along. It is a sweet song that fans will soon know all the words to and proclaim them to be about their own lives, but I'm somehow missing something. It took me a few listens to even find the song memorable and notice the catchy bits. Despite the train beat, it seemed to feel lagging behind to me. The video is also nothing special, as it's basically just a day-in-the-life of one of the band members. The song is certainly from the heart but right now I am just not into it.

   Both songs are hopefully a helpful insight into the vibe of the next album.