I have compiled a list of several prerequisites for nautical-themed rock. Number one: it should either sound like the ocean, the shore, the wind, or the creaks of a boat. This is hard to do without getting all spiritual and New Age, but it's still a requisite.
Two: it should be able to catch the mood of pirates. While Johnny Depp is currently the king of pirates, one of my housemates put it correctly when he referred to Tom Waits as "pirate rock." But I'm going to one-up him and refer to Tom Waits as the King of Pirate Rock. Long may he and Mr. Depp reign.
Three: the songs could deal with a compelling nautical theme. Split Enz's "Six Months in a Leaky Boat" is so good simply because it does capture that wild childish urge to escape from all troubles and just head to the open, shimmering sea. And number four: the song is explicitly about drinking rum and having a parrot sit on your shoulder. Yo-ho-ho.
So, does the clearly nautically inclined White Whale fit into my requirements of "Nautical or Pirate Rock?" No. But is that an unfortunate thing? Not really. The lyrics are there. The name is there. But at the same time, never should a band be pigeonholed into such a singular genre. Really, does the world need another Decemberists? Helllllllllll no.
And so, the White Whale have more in common with what would happen if some of the members of the Arcade Fire were thrown onto a desolate rowboat. Their music rings with the echoes of shadows, wind, and grit as they battle both the metaphysical waves of loneliness and the true madness of the sea.
Granted, it's nowhere near as emotionally compelling as the aforementioned Arcade Fire's stunning Funeral. But before ye abandon all hope (sorry, I couldn't resist at least one line of pirate talk), listen to "I Love Lovely Chinese Girl." A song which should be utterly trite, with its Disney-fied idea of Eastern music at the beginning, somehow rises above my initial eye roll to become an interesting tale of love broiled within a slow-moving dirge. I'm not going to say it's not stereotypical at all, but the song is arranged in such a way as to minimize a good deal of the annoyance I should be feeling.
Article comments