Ships Have Sailed is a Los Angeles based duo. Their music embodies an indie pop feel with an electro-folk and rock undertone. There are remnants of The Killers, The Postal Service, Guster, City and Color, The Lumineers, and Bon Iver. Their sound falls in the realm of dance pop. It has that “driving in your car feeling good” quality to it. They released their first EP “Someday” last year. They soon after released their first album, “Moodswings”. Since the release of both, the group has caught substantial attention and acclaim.
The praise of “Moodswings” is not surprising. It holds more than a couple hits. Songs like “If Only”, “Drive”, and “Summertime” are a few that stand out. “Echoes” is evidence of their musical diversity and sound and it’s a beautiful change of pace from the other songs on the LP. “Midnight” another track, was used in a feature film and played on commercial and college radio stations. The album is the stuff of viral hits – chart toppers. Each song has strong melodic structure, consistent dynamics, and comprehensive rhythmic beats. Each section of the song is clearly defined and differentiated so that the listener can become enraptured in the verse, then the pre-chorus, then the chorus, etc. This tends to be an important component of writing pop music. Ships have Sailed has successfully created catchy tunes which subliminally creep into the mind and are memorable.
In the true spirit of ships sailing, the band has already released a new project. Their latest EP “RE: MIX” is a collaboration between four DJs and the band. Released July 14th of this year, each DJ selected one song from “Moodswing” and as the EP title implies, remixed it. It begins with “Summertime”, remixed by DJ Matt Chiarelli. What was already a hit on “Moodswings” is a hit yet again in a whole new form. This version lends itself to a more dance driven scene. Though there were always hints of The Postal Service in their music, this version brings that electro-folk, pop essence to life in a very effective way. I was bobbing my head up and down incessantly. Unsurprisingly, “Summertime” is the perfect song for the summer.
The second song on RE: MIX is “Drive” featuring DJ Dimond Saints. It’s their single off the EP . In a very different vein than “Summertime” it has a much darker feel. However, it’s still true to the band’s overall sound maintaining that uplifting quality. It falls in the dance-pop genre, reminding me of Tove Lo – it’s less straightforward rhythmically than a lot of current pop tunes. The focus is on the beat and bass drums with repetitive lyrics such as, “Young enough, young enough to feel it” repeated amidst “Oooos”.
“If Only” remixed by DJ Mike Vincent, is the third song on the album. My only complaint is that the vocals have a strange quality to them at times. Beyond that, the components of this track are great. The rhythm is strong and pulsating and the verse and pre-chorus have a defined climax. By the time the chorus begins, it feels epic like the song is really going somewhere. The end has a repetitive dance outro that is very catchy and gives life to the track.
The final song on the EP is “Out of Time” remixed by Goatmilk. It’s my least favorite track on the album. It doesn’t evolve enough from start to finish. However I see the appeal and understand why they would finish the EP with this tune.
The band consists of Will Carpenter on guitar and vocals and Dan Hange on bass. “RE; MIX” is evidence that Ships Have Sailed has a dynamic sound lending itself to several genres which at times overlap. Their EP is a great summer listen. It is not as easy as it often seems to create new content. The amount they’ve released in such a short time span is commendable. I’m excited to see where this band musically journeys to next. Positive music with a good message is always something to encourage and promote. Stay up to date on their website. Their single “Drive” can be listened to on their Soundcloud page along with “Moodswings”. You can see their music video for Midnight here.
