The Submarines
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Honeysuckle Weeks - The Submarines Album Review
Album Review
If you have a penchant for The Cardigans, Dubstar and other similar light-pop acts with the sun in their hair but a sting in their tail then you might like the American duo, The Submarines. Mixing bright and breezy vocals and the odd smattering of dub and melancholy, this pair set their stall out on the 1st 3 or 4 songs. In fact, you may well have heard the track, "You, Me & The Bourgeoisie" on the iPhone ads recently plus the album's closing song, "Brightest Hour", was used in an episode of Grey's Anatomy - exposure of this kind is something I am normally sceptical of however, in this case, it is possibly a reflection of their talent rather than dubious leg-ups.
"The Thorny Thicket" and "The Wake Up Song" are perfectly likeable strolls through the meadow of melody but it's the dubby-flavoured ambles, "1940" and Fern Beard" where they display an affection for subtle and pretty scenery that just stops short of hippy-dom. There are a couple of weak moments in "Swimming Pool" and "Xavia" but generally this is an album that evokes the namesake the title comes from - sweet-faced yet slightly off-kilter.
