Maritime - We, the Vehicles

Maritime
We, the Vehicles
Flameshovel Records
Grade: A-/A

It shouldn’t come as any surprise that the eleven-track We, the Vehicles is absolutely brilliant indie pop. The reason is that the three-piece of Maritime is comprised of Davey von Bohlen and Dan Didier of the Promise Ring, and Eric Axelson of the Dismemberment Plan. Now, imagine those two bands meeting at a crossroads where mature indie chill is elevated with dreamy pop melodies. This knowledge alone should make you pick up We, the Vehicles today. Unlike their debut, Glass Floor, some of the themes on We, the Vehicles are darker, but it only really shows in the lyrics and not in the music itself. Maritime open their second album on “Calm” which lays the simple, yet catchy blueprint for the following ten songs. “Tearing Up the Oxygen” follows “Calm” and is lavishly beautiful – reminiscent of a Postal Service track without tons of electronics. After these two strong openers, the rest of the album unfolds with solid track after strong track, including highlights by the up-picking “Parade of Punk Rock T-Shirts,” the excellent “We Don’t Think, We Know,” the bass and guitar thumping on “Don’t Say You Don’t,” and the oddly catchy “German Engineering.” If you are a fan of indie pop, then We, the Vehicles should reside on your shelf. With a couple of high profile tours, like opening for Sondre Lerche or something, Maritime should attain the attention they deserve.