A Different Ship

by Here We Go Magic

Overview

Luke Temple and company keep on their road with the band's third album, but Here We Go Magic just aren't quite living up to their name beyond familiar, ultimately less than inspiring moves. It's not that the bandmembers aren't trying -- more than once they almost suggest an inspired fusion of early Beta Band with Hail to the Thief-era Radiohead, if more straightforwardly rock-inclined than both. But when Temple's voice takes on more of a clear Thom Yorke quality as it goes -- "Alone But Moving" in particular is pretty much an overt tribute -- then sometimes the line between inspiration and tribute is effaced. The album does start promisingly: after a bit of moody murkiness in a brief piece appropriately and descriptively called "Intro," hearing them shift into a mood that sounds like Nick Drake getting quietly funky -- soft echoed vocals, bouncing bass, and a steady pulsing energy in the rhythms -- is a treat. Here We Go Magic move between more full-on hyperactivity in that vein from songs like "Make Up Your Mind" and "I Believe in Action" to the easier-going grooves of "Alone But Moving," but too often they don't do much with that. "How Do I Know" strikes one of the better balances between the band's two sides, driving and energetic while just a bit wistful, even as Temple's voice has a bit more of a clipped quality. Meanwhile, "Over the Ocean" isn't a Low cover but that might have been a fun curve ball, or at least a more distinct one. ~ Ned Raggett

Product Details

Release Date:	05/08/2012
Label:	Secretly Canadian
UPC:	0656605023014
Rank:	58666

Tracks

1. Intro
2. Hard to Be Close
3. Make Up Your Mind
4. Alone But Moving
5. I Believe in Action
6. Over the Ocean
7. Made to Be Old
8. How Do I Know
9. Miracle of Mary
10. A Different Ship

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Here We Go Magic   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

Luke Temple   Artwork,Composer,Group Member
Drew Brown   Engineer
Jennifer Turner   Group Member
Nigel Godrich   Mixing,Engineer,Producer
Michael Bloch   Group Member
Here We Go Magic   Arranger,Composer
Kristina Lieberson   Group Member
Peter Hale   Group Member
James Sandom   Management
Daniel Murphy   Artwork
Deb Fenstermacher   Management
Hugo Nicolson   Engineer
Bryan Gardner   Mastering