Des Ark - Loose Lips Sink Ships

Des Ark
Loose Lips Sink Ships
Bifocal Media
Grade: A-

Living in Chapel Hill, it seems the Durham-duo of Des Ark have been around and kicking for years. Well, technically they have – three years – but they have only now gotten around to releasing their debut full-length – after several singles and their Day of Prole EP. Looking to take on the world proper, Des Ark have laid out eight tracks of their guttural vocal and drum/guitar attack. That is Tim Herzog (Milemarker) bangs out the beats, while Aimee Argote (Rubeo) lays down the guitars and anguished vocals. With some parallels to Milemarker, Des Ark concentrate on often dissonant, angular, stop-start guitars and intensely luscious vocals that lazily compares to an indie-art version of PJ Harvey. Recorded with J Mascis and Zeno Gill, there is little doubt that whatever Des Ark brings to a live show was captured on tape. The records begins on the haunting acoustic-folk number “Some Are Love,” where you swear this could be one of the best things you’ve heard in awhile – and serves as a nice companion piece to I’m Wide Awake. Des Ark knocks this comparison with the following “No More Fighting Cats, OK?” where the guitars dissonantly thrust and Argote’s shout without screaming. “Queen of the Sketch Patrol” follows a similar pattern as the duo flush out the sections, while “Yes Sir, Yes Way” is starker and actually does have Argote screaming for emphasis. Des Ark back off a bit on “It’s a Hard World Sometimes For Little Things” as a strangled piano accompanies Argote’s haunting vocals. “Jesus Loves You (But Yr Still Comin Home With Me Tonight)” satisfies your guitar hook fix as the duo dirty things up with a touch of blues before a four-minute eclectic ending soaks up the gorgeous opening. After the solid “Send Jolley to Raleigh,” comes the brilliant short closer “For Bob Riecke.” Simply featuring piano, the song illustrates Argote’s vocal range and the type of materials that are fair game for Des Ark as a project. This full-length is one of the best things out of the Triangle in a good while and makes me regret taking Des Ark playing all the time in Chapel Hill for granted.