Book of Ships - Dark Continent Cold Century

Based in Melbourne, Australia, the Book of Ships is the current project of producer d. a. calf., formerly of Mousemoon (Rubber Records) and current member of Single Twin (Marcus Teague from Deloris' new project). The debut album Dark Continent, Cold Century, recorded in a disused bowling club in Newcastle, NSW and mixed at BJB in Sydney by acclaimed producer Scott Horscroft (The Panics, the Presets, silverchair) is a dense sonic journey through layers of interweaving angular guitars, addictive synth riffs and intense multi-part vocal harmonies. Whiffs of Eno, Mercury Rev and Broken Social Scene permeate the record, coupled with the bombastic epicness of M83. The first single Broken Glass in My Mouth (Words are lines that turn to) released June 2010, is a frenetic track driven by swirling layers of reverberating guitars, pointy synths and relentless drums. Over this dense mass, a desperately delivered narrative concerned with decay and hope, progress and regression weaves, culminating in four part vocal harmonies in the final throes of the piece. Track three... Aagh contains surely the albums catchiest chorus over a bouncing pedal note riff before falling apart only to explode into the final refrain. It's lyrics are a summary of roads not taken, a bittersweet lament over a jauntily danceable rhythm track. Dark Continent, Cold Century is interested in the wasteland that was the twentieth century and how it was possible for an age of great artistic and social experimentation to co-exist with such great physical carnage, asking the question whether the two begat each other.