British Sea Power - The Decline Of British Sea Power

I don't think I can or will ever be able to fully explain how much I love British Sea Power and how much I enjoy this album. There is nothing I enjoy more than finding out about a great British band that doesn't sound anything else like what's coming out of the UK (to name drop, Radiohead, The Delgados, Muse, Coldplay, The Killers, etc). While at first I found them a bit gimmicky, especially with their live show, this album blew me away and was definitely one of my favorites of 2003. It took two extra months for The Decline Of British Sea Power to reach the U.S., but thankfully it did. Why? Because, and I mean this, "Blackout" is quite possibly one of the greatest songs I've ever heard, and I'm fairly certain without a U.S. release I'd have missed out. This one perfect pop gem pulled me into an album that, on first listen, challenged me throughout the first eight songs. The singer, known as Yan, has a voice that you might not find beautiful, similar to the vocalist from The Walkmen. The first couple tracks on the album are pretty interesting, but it isn't until "Something Wicked" comes on until British Sea Power really put their strong foot forward. "Remember Me" is a great abrasive song; "Fear Of Drowning" reminds me of something Echo & The Bunnymen would do; "Carrion" comes closest to a garage band sound for BSP. There is also the 14-minute epic "Lately" to round out the CD. But it's "Blackout" that should really stun you and make you instantly love this band. I saw British Sea Power a while ago before I had heard the CD and loved the outfits and thought they were pretty decent. After the purchase of this disc, however, I'm dying to get to see one of their shows because, once past the whole gimmick they have (check the web site for further evidence), I realized the genius of this band. Hopefully you will be able to dot he same. [www.britishseapower.co.uk]