UNWED SAILOR – Underwater Over There – LP – Blue Oceania Vinyl

LP – Limited Edition

Unwed Sailors ninth full length album over a 25 year Career. Founding member, Johnathon Ford, has played bass for Damien Jurado (Sub Pop / Secretly Canadian), Pedro the Lion (Barsuk / Polyvinyl), Rosie Thomas (Sub Pop), and other artists.

Tulsa, Oklahomas Unwed Sailor have been on a tear over the past few years. Following a quiet phase through much of the 2010s, they re-emerged with the aptly titled Heavy Age (2019), and two more full-lengths, Truth Or Consequences (2021) and Mute The Charm (2023), that chart a remarkable evolution of their bass-led, pop-leaning post rock. On Underwater Over There their ninth LP overall a current of 80s goth and jangle-pop runs beneath a litany of memorable hooks and compositional left turns, creating a propulsive and intricate world of sound.

The band worked collectively on all elements of mixing and production to craft a meticulously layered environment, while maintaining an air of spontaneity and experimentation across the set. Early standout, Final Feather, drifts through varying landscapes of airiness and haze on a high-neck bass hook, while the hum of voices adds a contrast of angelic comfort.

Bearing influence from New Order and The Cure in particular, its balance of gravitas and shimmer is the result of founding member Johnathon Ford s intuitive writing method: the lead bass line comes first, followed by supporting melodies, drums, guitars, keys, and final detailing. Dusty is a prime example of this process, as Fords powerful, low-end groove anchors a full-spectrum array of guitars, bells, and arpeggiations along with Matt Putman s energetic drum section. Its fluid pacing provides a perfect establishing shot, with shifting moods that gather into a coda guided by David Swatzells harmonized, glittering guitar riffs a sunrise after a moonless night. In quick succession, Blue Tangier widens the aperture with a pounding percussive refrain, vibrant bass tone and an unforgettable, fuzzed-out melodic motif.

Sprawling center piece, Junko, is a loose callback to 2003s The Marionette and The Music Box, its deliberate stride and interwoven melodies evoking the hands of a mechanical clock, and the anticipation of something long-awaited but nebulous. It drifts effortlessly from innocence to intrigue, expands into a mesmerizing howl, and vanishes abruptly into mist. While honouring their forebears in winks and nods, Unwed Sailor remain totally inimitable in their approach and style, twenty-five years into an acclaimed career. The bands clear vision for Underwater Over There has yielded some of their most indelible work, and their inventive, passionate approach gives a strong sense of plenty more beyond the horizon.

Tracklist:

01. Dusty
02. Blue Tangier
03. Final Feather
04. Junko
05. Peculiar Way
06. Antoinette
07. Skylight
08. Underwater Over There
09. Bend the Ai