British Sea Power

I was saying just the opposite to a friend, earlier: they're wildly *inconsistent* - I much prefer their un-rock side.

Really? I think all their albums have been at least very good, and the mix between bombast and contemplative work keeps both fresh.

There's the odd rockin' piece that I like but the tracks that I * love * are more languid.

The only album I love all the way through is "Man of Arran" (which does include rocky bits).

The latest album is the only one I haven't gone back to that much. It's not a bad record at all but I just didn't click with it the same way I did with the others. I think Do You Like Rock Music might be my favourite these days, that's mainly because of how much I love No Lucifer. First three are all pretty solid though, great live band too.

"Man Of Arran" is strictly instrumental, right? I prefer their vocal work.

EP5?

Available for order now, go get it!

http://sheffdocfest.com/view/thespace

Listening to EP6, which took a dogs age to arrive. As usual, these snapshots of works-in-progress need repeated listens to reveal their charms buthere's much to love already.

It's been a brilliant marketing ploy at the very least and a great tip of te hat to fans. I wonder what will make their next album,and how will it change between now and then?

Were EP5 and EP6 worth spending money on?

Oh yes. Fund a favorite band!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skPb3l2XhXY

Am enjoying the DVD sound track.

They announced their new album coming 4/1. You and I will reconvene on this thread to compare reviews.

New video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHUes0dGjUI

That's really good. I didn't realise they had a new album coming out so soon. I thought the last album was a bit of a dip in quality but looking forward to this one anyway.

New album might be the best one yet.

Has Graham S produced again?

They did it themselves with an engineer but they did a good job.

Cool, that's great to hear. At this point the third album is still my favourite.

KP, what's missing from "VH" in your opinion? As much as I like "Do You Like Rock Music" I find "VH" to be stronger and more interesting., ultimately lingering in my head longer. After the demo EPs from last year, I think we're in for another winner!

Have they ever played in the US?

I realise it's a bit of an unpopular opinion to have the third album as a favourite. I listened to Vauxhall recently and a lot of it just passed me by. I think the album really gets good on Stunde Null and the next two songs after that are my favourite run on the album. Baby is totally forgettable and Living Is so Easy is probably my least favourite single they've put out, it's just a little too cheesy. Observe the Skies and Cleaning Out The Rooms are highlights but then again the last three tracks I find quite forgettable. It's not a bad album at all, it's a low seven while the first three are all high eights.

I didn't hear any the EPs so these will all be new songs to me, looking forward to it a lot now.

So this is lovely, really musical and tuneful, none of the occasional shouting for attention they can be guilty of, feels like it will really unfurl over the weeks and months like Open Season did.

awesome, i am excited to get this

Not really feeling this from a couple of plays (I'd happily just hear BSP play variations on Man of Aran, mind.) Hoping it will grow on me.

The sleeve seems oddly "could be any ol' indie band", too.

Yeah the same for me. It's a nice album but the magic that made those first three albums so great just isn't there for me this time.

Quite liking this surprisingly. Had rather given up on them but at this moment am finding the new pensive BSP a better proposition than the flag waving incarnation.

I want to do a POX, I think.

North Hanging Rock
Cleaning Out The Rooms
Zeus
Oh Larssen B
The Lonely
Atom
No Lucifer
Fear Of Drowning
Machineries Of Joy
When A Warm Wind Blows Through The Grass

Honourable mentions to Bear, We Are Sound, Remember Me, Like A Honeycomb...

Tried to do it in order but apart from the top two there's not much in it.

No Lucifer
Victorian Ice
Like A Honeycomb
Carrion
Atom
Please Stand Up
Fear of Drowning
It Ended on an Oily Stage
No Need to Cry
The Lonely

The albums

Do You Like Rock Music?
Decline of
Open Season
Machineries Of Joy
Vauxhall

Albums would be...

Open Season
Zeus
Machineries
Vauxhall
Decline
Rock Music

I know Zeus is 'only' an EP, but it's 43 minutes long and it's brilliant.

It definitely earns points for Cleaning and Bear. Love the use of the latter in "From the Sea to the Land Beyond".

I know Zeus is 'only' an EP, but it's 43 minutes long and it's brilliant.

Precisely, and it's that sense of adventure found on it that seems missing from "Machineries Of Joy". I've given the latter a couple of listens and there's about 4 tracks that grab me and the others - not so much. At least yet, I'll give it a chance to grow on me. I'm going to spin the demo EPs again, too, and see how they compare. For what it's worth, the bonus 5 track EP that came with my order has a brilliant how-could-they-leave-this-off track "Facts Not Right".

i like this a TON. they have probably gone in the exactly direction i wanted, although i couldn't claim to have known that was what i wanted until i heard it. more judicious use of volume and noise, less conscious of fostering the 'big venue' sound that i think hurt val dancehall and rock music somewhat. and they seem to have embraced the mid-tempo-y songs that have become a strength of theirs.

Did the "remixes" and "alternate versions" versions of "Machineries" throw up anything interesting?

(The actual album didn't, for me).

Huh, didn't even know they released them. Frankly I listened to the Valhalla mixes and alt versions discs a couple of times and thst's it. The 6 demo EPs for the new album were the real meat.

Wasn't aware of this, either.

Changing gears, the proper CD release of their 'From the Sea to the Land Beyond' soundtrack is gorgeous. It almost plays as an instrumental best-of, with nice sequencing.

The soundtrack really works, doesn't it? It's how I like BSP. Wish I hadn't bought the standalone DVD, mind.

Anyone know BSP sufficiently well to make a track listing of the original titles of the tracks featuring on "From The Sea ..."?

This was harder than expected!

1. From The Sea To The Land Beyond - ?
2. Remarkable Diving Feat - Waving Flags
3. Strange Sports - Something Wicked
4. Heroines Of The Cliff - ?
5. The Guillemot Girls - ?
6. Suffragette Riots - ?
7. Heatwave - ?
8. Melancholy Of The Boot - Spirit of St. Louis?/No Lucifer
9. Be You Mighty Sparrow? - The Land Beyond
10. Berth 24 - Childhood Memories
11. Red Rock Riviera - Cleaning Out The Rooms
12. Coastguard - All In It
13. Perspectives Of Stinky Turner - ?
14. Bonjour Copains - Machineries Of Joy
15. The Wild Highlands - Once More Now
16. Docklands Renewed - A Lovely Day Tomorrow
17. The Islanders - The Land Beyond
18. Heatwave (Lympne Castle Demo)

Many of the tracks are based a single riff or chorus from the original, and there's more new stuff than I remembered.

Oh, 5 is 'Bear'.

Thanks Millsner ... The request was partly so I could go back to specific recent tracks and see if I liked them more now, having heard them in this context.

7 is Baby.

The "Machineries: Alternate Versions" turns out to be mostly instrumental, ranging from straight backing tracks to demos. It plays like a soundtrack version of the album, very atmospheric.

It's nice, isn't it?

Were you tempted by the remixes too?

Much nicer than I expected! I've only listened to the remix album once, it seemed like more of the same actually with only a few really different takes.

But I still much prefer the oomph of Valhalla Dancehall. I still need to listen to the demos EPs back to back with Machineries, maybe that will help me figure out what's missing for me.

Much prefer the alternative versions to the remix cd (though they did also send a copy of the Machineries bonus disc, which was a nice freebie).

NEW BSP PROJECT… INTRODUCING “SEA OF BRASS” !!

Nearly two years in the making, we are pleased to finally announce an exciting new commission for British Sea Power, “Sea of Brass”, which combines BSP live alongside championship 28-piece Brass Bands from all around the UK. Peter Wraight (Matthew Herbert Big Band) has created bespoke brass parts to accompany a selection of BSP songs from BSPs entire catalogue.

We gratefully acknowledge support from Arts Council England, PRS for Music Foundation, and our co-commissioning venues.

Our premiere performance will take place on Thursday 17th July 2014 at Gala Theatre, Durham, as part of Brass: Durham International Festival.

Tickets will go on sale at 5pm on April 2nd 2014 via at www.galadurham.co.uk

^ Barbican, London tickets on sale.