British Sea Power: Do You Like Rock Music?
Rough Trade
2008
Rating:


British Sea Power, best known for songs about birds and the arctic, makes a bid for the mainstream with a collection of anthems worthy of the provocation of its third album's title, "Do You Like Rock Music?" Based on the post-punk of debut "The Decline of British Sea Power" and the new wave of "Open Season," the band's ability to achieve such majesty comes as a surprise. "Do You Like Rock Music?" melds those diverting tendencies into one huge sound that is full of brute force and grace.

"Lights Out for Darker Skies" is monumental in its hard-charging guitars and persevering rhythm, inciting fist-pumping and heart-swelling. The band even gets Travis-y with "No Need to Cry" and "Open the Door," sounding lovely without being syrupy.

While the songs sound more radio friendly, lyrically British Sea Power is still confrontational and eccentric. "Waving Flags" sounds as big and bittersweet as Arcade Fire and is just as political as the Montreal band with lines about the acceptance of immigrants from Eastern Europe. After all, Scott "Yan" Wilkinson sings, "You are astronomical fans of alcohol," "so welcome in." The Blur-y "No Lucifer" is muscular, summoning some of its power with a chant for 62-inch-chested Shirley "Big Daddy" Crabtree Jr. in its incantation of "Easy!"

On the post-punk of "Atom," a song at once about nuclear physics and a too-close examination of a relationship, Yan sings, "I'll be the first to admit this is a bright but haunted age." The same is true of "Do You Like Rock Music?": it is dazzling and evocative, a true rock album.

Posted Sunday, February 17, 2008

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