Kimchee Records
Victory at Sea are nota cheery band. The darkness and rain that seemed to possess them ontheir Kimchee LP 'Carousel' has not subsided, and it even feels likethe storm is getting closer. Theirs is a traditional rock sound, withguitar, bass, and drums, that is often augmented by violin and keys.Singer/guitarist Mona Elliott is out for blood, shrieking andsmoldering each song into your brain and veins. There seems to be nohope, no relenting, on the first three songs, as the poetic lyrics andsolid sounds pummeled at my ears. Mona sings on "Canyon," "I say thisplace isn't big enough for the two of us," and I believe it. Thepunishment continues through "The Liar," and then, things seem tomellow out a little. "Old Harbor" and "Proper Time" are simple, slow,and beautiful. Here, Mona's voice is stretched out, warbling andbreaking, like this is the way it's meant to be: "Get on with my life!"The power returns even in the slow pace, on "Sunny Days," one of thealbum's best tracks, with crunching guitar and low, thick bass. It'sgorgeous as she reaches for the sky with her words, singing of cloudsand rain. Following that are a few tracks with varied sound andarrangement. "A Song for Brian" features only guitar, bass, voice, andpiano, so it's nothing new for this album ("Old Harbor" has a similarpalette), but is still a pretty song. "The Bluebird of Happiness"sounds more like Denali (never a bad thing), and "Kelly's Landing"starts off as a rock tune and ends with children playing in the rain. "Firefly" closes the album with its"watch you die" ending, bringing the whole thing into perspective withits simple structure and sound. Victory at Sea are still growing,approaching that perfect release, and 'The Good Night' is just a narrowmiss.
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