Valhalla Dancehall

British Sea Power goes on conquering new music territories

There is a band among the contemporary British acts which has drawn attention to it at once not only because of its interesting sounding but also because its colorful and spectacular live shows – it is certainly British Sea Power. The guys who formed the band back in college and changed its names several times names understood quickly that it was necessary to stand out from the crowd in some special way and made so that nobody ever felt bored at their performances. The musicians have released three full length albums and one record containing the soundtrack for a documentary in a relatively short period of time, from 2003 to 2009. Experimentation, guitar and drums sounding, vocals – all these components were evolving from one recording to another, and today British Sea Power is an idol for millions of fans at both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. It has been almost three years since the band’s last studio work Do You Like Rock Music? was released, and the guys release the album of fresh material Valhalla Dancehall just in time. Starting the year from such a brilliant creation is British Sea Power’s way to claim that its arsenal of ideas is still far from being run out, and goes on conquering new music territories.

A mystical atmosphere and funny songs on Valhalla Dancehall

If we start considering the album Valhalla Dancehall from its title the word ‘Valhalla’ immediately attracts attention – this is how heaven for courageous warriors is called in the Scandinavian mythology. Supposedly we can expect to hear something simultaneously divine and danceable. Actually everything can be expected from British Sea Power but the very first electro guitar sounds on the opening track Who's In Control?, undoubtedly, are typical of all the band’s previous recordings. It looks like the musicians’ music has remained as same down-to-earth as before and danceable beats have not appeared in it. On the other hand, the spectrum of the accompanying instruments is significantly broadened – more glockenspiel parts can be heard, and that is quite a Scandinavian instrument, the percussion is enriched, and the guitar sounding is more varied. Yet, it is the atmosphere that is becoming more and more mystical at different times – it all starts from the soulful piano crescendo on Georgie Ray, a melodious and complicated track. The ballad Baby hypnotizes with its softness, and the song Luna combines the simple life situations pictures with solemn chorals. Besides, there is another version of this songs lasting almost ten minutes on the album and you can feel a truly mysterious mythical spirit in its arrangement the lyrics remaining the same. The number Observe The Skies is built on the opposite effect with extremely simple arrangement, tune, instrumentation and a deep and lofty meaning in its lyrics, and the psychedelic ballad Let The Tears Roll once again makes the listener sink in the space melancholy. Between all these explorations of its capacity the band has put its good old funny energetic songs (the first single Living Is So Easy, Lucky Bicycle, Shit Factory) for which the audience likes British Sea Power that much and which are the obligatory part of each of its releases.

One of the most original and attractive on the modern indie scene

At first sight it may seem that British Sea Power is too fond of exploring myths and legend just like it got too deep in figuring out music genres characteristics once in its own time. This may only seem to those, however, who are completely unfamiliar with the musicians’ creative work. Their old fans know for sure that the British guys’ main goal is making a show in the first place, and today they have managed to create it not only on stage but in the music itself. Those outstanding atmospheric and image-bearing compositions on Valhalla Dancehall are as unserious in their essence as the rest of the bold indie tracks in which the band is obviously having fun and playing some great music. The four-piece of Yan, Noble, Hamilton and Wood has expressed itself in all possible ways from the very beginning, creating the most unusual illusions, and today its imagination has allowed to record such a rich and interesting collection of songs as Valhalla Dancehall. At the same time, one can really find in the lyrics some very smart thoughts which are far from being superficial and together with irony, beautiful tunes and great vocals do credit to British Sea Power, a band that remains one of the most original and attractive on the modern indie scene.