The Decline of British Sea Power

by Sea Power

Overview

The first two songs on Sea Power's remarkable 2003 debut The Decline of British Sea Power, "Men Together Today" and "Apologies to Insect Life," come crashing out of the gate with such a wealth of frantic, chaotic, over-the-top energy that it comes as something of a surprise when the album shifts into contemplative, more atmospheric form a few tracks down the line. While some bands are eager to create a distinct and lasting image of themselves on their first album, Sea Power seemed determined to jump from one mood to another, confounding expectations before they had a chance to take root, and if The Decline of British Sea Power is an album possessed by multiple personalities, all of them are compelling and have fascinating stories to tell. "Remember Me" and "Favours in the Beetroot Fields" are dominated by Martin Noble's scrappy, all-over-the-road electric guitar and Scott Wilkinson's breathless vocals, but "Something Wicked" shifts gears into a bigger, grander sound that lives up to the majestic tone of the band's name. "The Lonely" and "Carrion" are brilliantly crafted, cinematic pop constructed on the grand scale and full of resonant emotions. And the penultimate track, "Lately," is a 14-minute epic that sails from evocative beauty past a valley of noise and havoc into a final squall of madness, in many ways an ideal summation of Sea Power's strategy on this album. But for a first public gesture, The Decline of British Sea Power is tremendously powerful, and the band is more than up to the challenge of its vast creative ambitions; Scott Wilkinson is a singer of no small talent and range (and his lyrics are clever and often blazingly eccentric in the great British tradition), his brother Neil Hamilton Wilkinson and Martin Noble are multi-instrumentalists with both the skills and the vision to conjure this album's vast sonic palette, and drummer Matthew Wood is strong enough to hold the many pieces firmly in place. The Decline of British Sea Power is a wild musical ride that never stops delivering surprises and rare pleasures, and it was a fittingly remarkable debut from what would become one of the most interesting U.K. acts of their day. ~ Mark Deming

Product Details

Release Date:	06/21/2024
Label:	Golden Chariot
UPC:	5056032385207
Rank:	38055

Album Credits

Performance Credits

British Sea Power   Primary Artist
Sea Power   Primary Artist
Yan   Piano,Guitar,Vocals,Organ
Matthew Wood   Drums
Martin Noble   Organ,Piano,Guitar,Vocals (Background)
Darren Moon   Vocals (Background)
Neil Wilkinson   Bass,Organ,Piano,Guitar,Vocals,Vocals (Background)
D. Sharp   French Horn
Noble   Organ,Piano,Guitar,Vocals (Background)
M.J. Noble   Vocals (Background)
Wood   Drums

Technical Credits

Yan   Mixing,Composer
Gareth Jones   Mixing
Jo Israel   Engineer
Martin Noble   Mixing,Composer
Vicky Oag   Engineer
Neil Wilkinson   Mixing,Composer,Engineer
Mads Bjerke   Mixing,Engineer
Galaxie 500   Composer
David Wrench   Assistant Engineer
Phil Vinall   Mixing,Engineer
Julian Cope   Composer
Mike Hunter   Engineer
Hamilton   Mixing,Composer
Dave Bascombe   Mixing
Al Scott   Mastering
Sea Power   Mixing,Composer,Engineer
Marc Beatty   Mixing,Engineer,Associate Engineer
Will Sergeant   Producer
M.J. Noble   Mixing
Frantisek Svojik   Composer