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Album Review

You notice immediately that Victory at Sea's sophomore effort is a much more upbeat affair than their debut, The Dark Is Just the Night. It could possibly be attributed to the band's new drummer, Fin Moore, who may be the bastard child of the Who's Keith Moon. Moore adds a lot in filling in the little gaps left by the bass and guitar (the title track, "Carousel"). The album also has some new sounds via bassist Mel Lederman's electric piano dabbling. It evokes a slightly uneasy feeling to a track like "Remember," which seems like a missing piece from the Butthole Surfers' 1986 LP Rembrandt Pussyhorse. Victory at Sea's somber trademarks are still here too, as displayed in the sad trumpet on "Angel," a song reworked from a split EP with Helms that was released in 2000. From punk ferocity to contemplative passages, Victory at Sea has become a much more well-rounded outfit who leaves you waiting for their next move.