REVIEW FROM LIAR SOCIETY :::
Submarine Fleet create utterly seaworthy slabs of gothic shoegaze, interspersed with the occasional foray into instrumental ambiance. A Very Strange Sight in the Distance swells with chorus-laden guitars that rise in waves and crescendo, pulsing bass lines, and atmospherics as cold as the ocean depths. The drumming and the vocals on this record are particularly striking; the drums manage a nice blend of propulsive and understated, while Mark James Linder's vocals stake out a hazy territory somewhere between Lycia, Audra, and the more emotive side of 80s goth rock. Submarine Fleet manages to craft a dense, complex sound that is immediately accessible, fit for moods both somber and introspective. This is top stuff and, if it takes your fancy, also recommended is their In a Case of Fire EP.
(4 out of 5 stars)
Posted by Jack
(http://liarsociety.tripod.com/blog/index.blog?entry_id=1746084)
REVIEW FROM MICK MERCER :::
The other day, a record I thought was called ‘In A Cage Of Fire’ due to their arty font, but which is in fact ‘In A Case Of Fire’, we found them idealising the 4AD world, like a true cross between The Sound and a less emotional, circumspect Bell Hollow, but things have changed greatly with this album. It’s understandable that bands look to a period when songwriting brought the best out of you, regardless of scene-specific requirements, but now they comprehensively embrace the new atmosphere rather than the sights and sound acquired through rose-splintered spectacles. There’s also a link to that previous record as a gloomy video of ‘The Vocalist’ is included.
‘Columns, Towers & Islands’ resonates with tension from the off, like artistic, colourful ambient, so we have a different, diffident dynamic at work, and as ‘Subdoctor’ flexes, with darkly musty vocals peeping out at the listener, it’s a drowsy song which gradually grows with a formidably lustrous indie beauty and just looking like it’s apt to explode when it stops abruptly. ‘Oceanic Fleur’ also has more of this chipped and creepy drone backing, drifting towards the fantastic ‘Unmarked Doorways’ which has a wriggling vocal torment with soothing, undulating music and some refined, bitter guitar hotspots. A gorgeous song, it also manages to be gently glamorous.
‘Displacement’ is even more dramatically inclined, with some dead sexy guitar flames evident, and there’s a noir hauteur about their sound, encompassing both filmic and seismic sensibilities, with graceful vocals slipping into place. ‘Valse (X)’’ takes things down into an instrumental of bass/acoustic entanglement, then we push upwards again with the sleek ‘The Color Of Wurmwood’ which has a tingle to the timbre, a settled ominous vocal and subtle commercial allure. ‘Variance And Illusion’ is a thorny bubbling dance experience with addled, picturesque lyrics, gleaming guitar agitation, highlighting their sophistication.
‘Reflections On A Tilting Pond’ sashays into the heat of a jangling, streamlined fandango, and while its got warm vinegary rivulets I found it a bit of a diversion away from what was making everything sop interesting although ‘Gunpowder’ is something or a more cautious continuation, with the lowkey ‘Bullet Holes’ soulful and idling. Unusual tension returns with the aching ‘Leftwatch’ rises simply with passionate, imploring vocals, and ‘Strange Was The Past, Weird Is The Future’ makes for a rich, dignified and quite unexpected ending.
A cerebral album, clearly, but it isn’t a weight on your shoulders. It is as light as it is dark, and it’s got depths you need to burrow into to explore properly.
(http://mickmercer.livejournal.com)
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