All Those Ships - Temporary Coma

Hear The Track Here

OK, this is just too weird. I've just started to write this review, came online to get the links to the track and - lo and behold - no track on the artists webpage. Got to love that eye/hand co-ordination innit?? I can only assume that the track was so powerful that it actually did what it said on the tin and induced said temporary coma about uploading the damn thing. I'm also going to assume that the musician concerned will be along at some point to comment (Ed: some do, you know) and who knows, leave a working link. Brandon MacNeil is the admiral in charge of All Those Ships, an Alternative Indie one man band from the eastern seaboard of the US, and a new name to me - although he appears to have been on Soundclick since 2004.

Mystery, doncha just hate it...?

Judging by this track and others actually on the webpage, All Those Ships leans towards the acoustic and even folky sound and style. Whether that is a question of preference or circumstances is open to conjecture, suffice it to say that lo-fi is a main feature of this track and others on the site. Now I personally don't mind because I am an acoustic player myself, but I do understand that it doesn't float everyone's boats. More especially when it is that modern, navel gazing alternative music so prevalent on Soundclick and elsewhere. In other words, it doesn't really stand out. Or at least, not that much.

Musically though, despite the roughness of sound, this track has much to offer, especially if you like something that is extremely evocative of singers such as Syd Barrett and even (at a pinch) Terry Reid although the Barrett connection is obviously the strongest. Mind you, I thought it was stretching the point a bit when the track works out to a lengthy five and a half minutes although its inventive and lively enough to keep me interested whenever its on but - as I said before - I do like this stuff and you may not.

Recommended (if lo-fi) alternative shoegaze.