I Wish is effectively the best song The Captain Ledge Band could have started this album with – it brings together a lightly intense but organic and rhythmic musicality, with a clear and consistent level of intent and depth, which underlines their values and their skills as musicians in a bold way. The sound is crisp and addictive, spacious and simple, but it grabs you. The back and forth between the two vocals opens up a certain dynamic within the performance, adding a touch of theatre to the way it plays out – making sure to hold tight to your attention.
As the album progresses, the band’s sound feels quickly familiar and comforting in the same instance. Bucket Mouth is a great song, instantly recognisable after only a single listen. There’s a delicacy to the music but still it manages to hit with impact – not an easy thing to achieve, and successfully avoiding the pitfall of being overly loud in an attempt to draw an audience. On the contrary, this is the sort of music you’d hear playing in the distance, that would slowly but surely lure you over to be a part of the moment.
The Captain Ledge Band exercise a certain musical unity between band members with every track that pours out for you. The music is notably organic, but not raw – these recordings are crisp, satisfying, and they allow the sentiments of the songs to shine in a genuine and impressive way. Skeleton Key is a further example of this, a spacious and rhythmic piece that keeps your focus on the story-line. The music is nostalgic and familiar, for sure, but the story-lines within work hard to add a whole new layer of value to the experience.
No Need To Cry is a personal favourite, musically interesting and personally reflective in a way that seems quite revealing and vulnerable – the sort of moment that makes a listener really appreciate the honesty of the artist and what they’ve created. Waiting On Angels follows with a touch of joy about it, reminding me slightly of the infamous You’ve Got a Friend in Me. The story-line again works well with the musicianship.
In The Middle settles things down to a purely stringed soundscape, within which a distinctly emotional song is softly whispered through the speakers. The vocal performance is stunning here, entrancing and so genuine sounding. The lyrics and this passion in the performance make light work of captivating the listener. Another absolute highlight with definite mainstream potential in terms of how easily it could connect with a wider audience.
Through I Love You and I Remember, the mood feels initially much lighter – fun, colourful. The latter song keeps this vibe alive musically but veers off in a difficult direction just briefly as mild struggles from the past are used as a comparison to highlight how good things are in the present. Simple Things follows and re-captures your attention with a lighter leading riff and a subsequent musical warmth that brings a calming, familiar aura. It’s another song you’d appreciate from across the hall or the bar, slowly edging your way closer as it plays. The harmonies highlight the beauty of that hook really well.
Mimosa Tree brings the album to a close in a mellow and poetically reflective manner. There’s a dash of melancholy to the song, it feels like sitting down to watch the sunset at the end of a long week. The musicality and the concept stand out quite significantly from all that came before, adding a final flicker of eclecticism at the final hurdle. The album in full makes for a lovely playlist for fans of folk, folk-rock, Americana, or even just the softer rock or singer-songwriter styles.
Download the album via Bandcamp or stream it on Spotify. Find & follow The Captain Ledge Band on Facebook & Twitter. Visit their Website for more information.
