Photo by Zane Roessell
On new album CITYCIDE, Los Angeles’ The Dead Ships take a cue from Modest Mouse circa 2004 and “Float On”, undeterred by challenges, loneliness, and even the death of a close friend of singer/guitarist Devin McCluskey. With the help of past collaborator Brendan Canning of Broken Social Scene, who sat behind the boards and lent some gnarly guitar throughout, the three-piece look darkness in its face, processing that pain through 11 garage rockers that scratch, brood, and rattle before eventually finding the light and a reason to celebrate life.
There’s the title track, a yearning rocker that references those who choose to jump off the Golden Gate Bridge as sort of their last hurrah, as well as opener “Company Line”, an anthemic number which faces off against sell outs and flips the bird to the man. McCluskey & co. also reflect on the alienation big city dwellers often deal with on the gritty and menacing “Floorboards”. In terms of message, perhaps their single “First Mistakes” encapsulates and drives the whole thing home, its jangly chords giving rise to a pithy yet revelatory chorus: “It was good to be alive!”
Ahead of CITYCIDE’s June 24th release date, Consequence of Sound is streaming it in full below. Listen in.
CITYCIDE, which follows last year’s Canning-produced EP 1, is due out via Nevado Records. Pre-order it here.
CITYCIDE Artwork:
CITYCIDE Tracklist:
01. Company Line
02. Spun Yarns
03. Big Quiet
04. Canyon
05. Los Feliz
06. Floorboards
07. Capable
08. First Mistakes
09. Citycide
10. Seance
11. Tomorrow’s Crashes
The Dead Ships 2016 Tour Dates:
06/19 – Chicago, IL @ Taste of Randolph
07/07 – Milwaukee, WI @ Summer Fest
07/15 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Hi-Hat (Record Release Show)
