Captain, We're Sinking!

It's A Trap

Written by: TL on 11/01/2011 16:46:47

Okay seriously, how many bands are going to do the "yell at the top of our lungs while playing melodic punk rock" routine? More importantly, who cares, isn't it great? It seems that every week there's at least one new record in the Rockfreaks.net promo-pool, the sound of which can likely be traced directly back to Hot Water Music and the likes. You'd think we'd feel like it's been done to death, but the truth is that at least PP and me happily divide these between us, because in all honest, despite the varying quality of the records, this style is just always enjoyable, even when the songs aren't memorable.

Anyway, I'm not a great big punk-rock library like PP, so when it comes to finding bands to reference in today's review of "It's A Trap EP" by Captain, We're Sinking!, I'm probably not dead on the money when I want to compare it to the likes of Banner Pilot, Dillinger Four and Against Me. I hope I'm close enough though, as I should be, because if you are at all into this sort of music, then you already know what I'm talking about and there's no reason for me to speak any more of it.

Like I said earlier, releases like these tend to vary in quality, even if it's only marginally, but a likely reason I'm sounding particularly fond of them today, is that Captain, We're Sinking! definitely belong way up on the quality scale. Why so? Well, because they have two things going for them that bands like them typicalle struggle with:

First off, both singers (more like shouters) of theirs are capable of a little thing called articulation, meaning that even though both are literally roaring at the top of their lungs at the same time (just see the title track), you can actually make out the lyrics with ease all the way through. It's the kind of thing that doesn't seem like a big deal, but in truth it's something that can in the end determine whether you will remember a song or not.

Secondly, CWS are capable such a rare feature as variety. While "It's A Trap!" opens almost exclusively with shouted vocals, "Crushed By Milwaukee's Best" (my favourite song on here) is much more dynamic, via interplaying vocals and instrumentation of a much more down-played sort. "Swing Your Kami Sword" also makes a case for its distinction via almost ska-sounding instrumentation in places, and is driven by an energy very similar to Denmark's own Stream City at their best. Okay, so "Gunner Merring Will Have His Revenge" doesn't really blip on my radar as anything except "that last song of the EP", still that isn't much of a problem, because as I've emphasized earlier, this is still good-times music the kind of which you can't help but enjoy.

In any case, I think this EP does exactly what an EP is supposed to do. It provides a charming snapshot of a band and of the variety of that band's talents. It gives you a couple of songs that will grow into your memory, and most importantly, it gives you the idea that if this band put an album out, you would actually be interested in listening to all of it. Not just a few songs. You see me complaining vaguely around here all the time, about bands missing this or that on their early recordings, but this my friends, this is more like it (Oh, and the nerd in me loves that it's called "It's A Trap").

8

Download: All of it for free by clicking here
For The Fans Of: Banner Pilot, Dillinger Four, Against Me!, Banquets, The Menzingers
Listen: soundcloud.com/captainweresinking

Release Date May 2010
Kind Of Like Records



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