Album review: Marine Dreams

Ian Kehoe releases self-titled debut album

The self-titled Marine Dreams album has been an anticipated one for the Canadian indie music community. The songs are all written by Ian Kehoe, the scrawny fellow who was the bassist and songwriter for the now defunct indie rock band, Attack in Black.  These days, you can find Kehoe at the drum kit or playing other instruments for the Sackville, N.B. hero Shotgun Jimmie.

The album throws the basic elements of drums, guitar, bass and vocals together in a rough sounding rock 'n' roll meets folk rock type of way.  Because Kehoe sings his lyrics in a quirky way, the songs unfold unpredictably for the listener.

Opening track "Fold the Sky" starts off simply enough, with guitars and a steady drum beat behind Kehoe's rough vocals. Halfway through the track, the sounds of an organ interrupt while the song falls back into a few minutes of chaos before getting back on track and following the standard song formula.

Grit and raw energy

The second track, "Yet to See the Sun" follows the structure of songs that have made East Coast favourites like Joel Plaskett, Shotgun Jimmie and Dog Day so popular. Catchy lyrics about having yet to see the sun, something anybody who experienced the rainy Halifax spring of 2011 can relate to. Just the right amount of grit and raw energy thrown into tight instrumentation.

Half way through the album, the songs start to live up to the dream part of the name Marine Dreams. That bleached out summer feel, songs that feel heavily dosed in nostalgic, sounding like something that would have been crackling on record players in the summer of '75. The sound of fuzzy guitars on the back porch. Lyrics that are reflective, full of the sounds of confession and self-realization. A spontaneous feel that somehow knows where it is going.

A little help from his friends

The album features an impressive list of guest musicians including his ex-Attack in Black bandmates Daniel Romano, Ian Romano and Spencer Burton. Steve Lambke (Baby Eagle, Constantines), Shotgun Jimmie and Paul Henderson (ex-Shotgun and Jaybird) are a few of the musicians who bring a bit of their own respective styles to the album. The album was recorded in Welland, Ont., at the Romano's studio in just two sessions. The album is the latest on the small Sackville, N.B. based label, You've Changed Records, that has featured some outstanding records this year including "Sleep Beneath the Willow Tree" by Daniel Romano, "Transistor Sister" by Shotgun Jimmie and "All of It Was Mine" by the Weather Station.

For a debut album, this one delivers a few knockout punches, the sign of an experienced music veteran who knows what he is doing. All the t's are crossed and the i's are dotted. The perfect album to get you through these last couple months of the year.

Key tracks: Fold The Sky, Yet To See The Sun, Sudden Dark Truths

Recommended for fans of: Shotgun Jimmie, Attack in Black, Dog Day

Comments on this story are now closed