Hello all. As per stated by the title of this post, this will be my first non-Song-of-the-Day post. Hooray for me! Anyways, I'm here to do an album review/opinion of Maritime's new album Human Hearts (released on vinyl today might I add). Forged out of the ashes of The Promise Ring and The Dismemberment Plan, Maritime is a simplistic pop-rock band, along the same lines as Death Cab for Cutie, except much less depressing and popular. This album is their first one released on Dangerbird Records, the same label that now releases the music of Minus the Bear, Silversun Pickups, and Fitz and the Tantrums. Upon hearing the first couple of songs, the groove of the music was very reminiscent of The Killers; uplifting, catchy, and somewhat disco-y. As the album progressed, the sound changed ever so slightly, and I couldn't quite put my finger on what it sounded like, besides previous Maritime albums. It then struck me, it was as if lightning had struck me in the head; this sounded like what would've happened if Alkaline Trio went pop. The lyrics, guitars, drumbeats, even the track titles; everything reminded me of a less hardcore/punk AK3. This is definitely not a bad thing. It sounds a bit more produced and less like traditional Maritime than their past albums, but that's how I felt after Hot Hot Heat and Minus the Bear both released their first albums on this label. I feel this album is a definite crowd pleaser, a must-have for all Maritime and AK3 fans who can appreciate the lighter side of thigns, and a good one to have in your library, but it's not anything that I, personally, would listen to more than a few times per month. However, for all you who revere Maritime, get it now. It's an interesting addition to their arsenal. Since this is an opinion piece, you are more than welcome to disagree and trash my ideas, but this is how I feel about it. Now you can take my word as gold, or you can make your own assumptions and listen to the album for yourself here:
Great album artwork, might I add...
