Album Review #8: The Submarines

Declare A New State! (2006), by The Submarines

It was a little over a year ago that, one day at work, Pandora radio served up one of those really obscure songs that, while it plays, can't even find the album art for the song. It caught my attention somehow; maybe it was the aching lyrics, but more likely it was the subtle, electronicky percussion that dotted the melody.

I was so intrigued that, even after a futile attempt to locate the album in person, I actually ordered it from Amazon. Sure enough, no customer reviews yet, but I went for it anyway.

And as it turned out, it didn't take too long for The Submarines to snowball on the indie scene after various compositions made it to TV shows like Nip/Tuck, Weeds, Grey's Anatomy, and even Apple's iPhone 3G ads. Usually I'm not one to toot my own horn, but... beep beep. For once, I actually got into a group before they hit the mainstream.

But enough self-promotion; on to the real heroes. John Dragonetti and Blake Hazard (great-granddaughter of F. Scott Fitzgerald, by the way) comprise the LA duo. Interestingly, the album's conception began when the two romantically involved musicians broke up. As the story goes, they both independently began writing music about their former relationship, ran into each other a little later on, discovered that their songs were about each other, and boom, their debut album was born.

Happy ending, yes, but the pain and sorrow of breaking up ends up being pretty much the sole motif of all ten songs. One particular line from "Brighter Discontent" still haunts me: "A breaking heart in an empty apartment / was the loudest sound I never heard." All this after she laments that a brand new big TV and a new apartment doesn't keep her from noticing her ex-lover still in pictures all over her walls.

The album is only a downer if you sit and read the lyrics from the little booklet that always comes with the CD. Musically, it's a pretty captivating piece of art. It seems like just about every song tries something new: there are several different melodies and rhythms put to use within each track, but not so much that it distracts you (like, say, Beck). Hazard's soaring and lyrical voice hypnotizes me, too.

I also noticed that all of the songs have a deceptively positive key which act as a stark contrast to the lyrics, but may also suggest a slightly optimistic, "light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel" type of attitude for heartbreak. After all, notice the album's title.

Some songs are much weaker than others. "Hope" and "The Good Night" seem to wander around a little bit aimlessly without really mixing anything up like most of the other tracks. To me, the album has a few great songs ("Peace and Hate", "Brighter Discontent", "Darkest Things") and a few adequate ones that have a harder time holding my attention.

Declare A New State! is only about 35-40 minutes long, but that's really all it needs. Despite its weaknesses, the varied and occasionally off-kilter electronic influences and Hazard's stellar and graceful voice make it an interesting listen all the way through. Probably shouldn't buy it for your girlfriend for Christmas, though.

Grade: B+