The Submarine Races’ self-titled debut came out in June and I had hoped it would make its way to eMusic. In The Red Records, a fine punk/garage label, hadn’t sent anything to eMusic in a long time but finally a few weeks ago this one showed up. I was especially happy because it was at the top of the list for my few and far between brick and mortar purchases.
I’m glad my patience paid off because I would have been disappointed had I bought the physical disc. Not that The Submarine Races is a bad album. It’s very listenable and there are a couple of great songs. It just doesn’t live up to my mental hype. Lead Racer Ian Adams used to be in The Ponys and I was crazy about the tracks he contributed to that band, in particular the sublime “Fall Inn” on Laced With Romance. There are a few moments that equal that gem but generally speaking it’s an average album of artsy garage pop-rock.
Things get off to a particularly rough start with a challenging instrumental noise fest called “Theme.” There’s nothing else like it on the album and it’s really a questionable choice to pull listeners in. The proceedings improve vastly from there, with Adams’ nasal desperation backed by driving bass lines, alternately wiry/chunky guitar, and workmanlike drums. The most memorable songs are the ones with killer choruses, including “Get Yourself Together” and “One Forward, Three Back.” The organ and call-and-response vocals on “Ghosts and Worms” are pretty nifty too.
I noticed a lot of the chord progressions have an oldies vibe to them which contrasts nicely with the otherwise post-punk leanings. This really gives the band a distinctive sound. Hopefully Ian Adams’ tenure with The Submarine Races will at least equal his stint with The Ponys and he’ll continue to build on this promising beginning.
On a related note, I read at the In The Red site that The Ponys have signed with Matador and are about to start working on their third album.
I listened to this album once or twice and didn’t really get anything out of it. I may listen to it once more before it gets the boot. A new ponys album on the other hand would be worth listening to…