Unwed Sailor – Underwater Over There LP (Oceania Blue Vinyl) on Sale

Tulsa, Oklahoma s Unwed Sailor have been on a tear over the past few years. Following a quiet phase through much of the 2010s, they reëmerged with the aptly titled Heavy Age (2019), and two more full-lengths, Truth Or Consequences (2021) and Mute The Charm (2023), that chart a remarkable evolution of their bass-led, pop-leaning post rock. On Underwater Over There – their ninth LP overall – a current of 80s goth and jangle-pop runs beneath a litany of memorable hooks and compositional left turns, creating a propulsive and intricate world of sound.

The band worked collectively on all elements of mixing and production to craft a meticulously layered environment, while maintaining an air of spontaneity and experimentation across the set. Early standout, Final Feather , drifts through varying landscapes of airiness and haze on a high-neck bass hook, while the hum of voices adds a contrast of angelic comfort. Bearing influence from New Order and The Cure in particular, its balance of gravitas and shimmer is the result of founding member Johnathon Ford s intuitive writing method: the lead bass line comes first, followed by supporting melodies, drums, guitars, keys, and final detailing.

Dusty is a prime example of this process, as Ford s powerful, low-end groove anchors a full-spectrum array of guitars, bells, and arpeggiations along with Matt Putman s energetic drum section. Its fluid pacing provides a perfect establishing shot, with shifting moods that gather into a coda guided by David Swatzell s harmonized, glittering guitar riffs – a sunrise after a moonless night. In quick succession, Blue Tangier widens the aperture with a pounding percussive refrain, vibrant bass tone and an unforgettable, fuzzed-out melodic motif.

Sprawling centerpiece, Junko , is a loose callback to 2003 s The Marionette and The Music Box, its deliberate stride and interwoven melodies evoking the hands of a mechanical clock, and the anticipation of something long-awaited but nebulous. It drifts effortlessly from innocence to intrigue, expands into a mesmerizing howl, and vanishes abruptly into mist. Antoinette conveys many of Unwed Sailor s unique strengths in a tight four minutes, as its mysterious, wah-wah melody snarls across a massive and deeply textured bed of percussion, pulsing with the kinetic push of a steam engine, equal parts beauty and brutality.

Title track, Underwater Over There , commences the final act with aquatic synthesizer loops that ease into chorus-tinged bass and towers of rich melody and counterpoint. This patient fortitude carries into the penultimate piece, Bend the Air , which offers the album s most cinematic passage, a climax of emotional release and breathless exhilaration. By contrast, the brief closer, V & V , is a balladic, piano-led ode to Ford s cats, Voodoo and Veruca; you can easily imagine them resting in a sunbeam, as its backdrop of field recordings nods to the bustling world outside.

While honoring their forebears in winks and nods, Unwed Sailor remain totally inimitable in their approach and style, twenty-five years into an acclaimed career. The band s clear vision for Underwater Over There has yielded some of their most indelible work, and their inventive, passionate approach gives a strong sense of plenty more beyond the horizon.