Stegzy's Music Project

A commentary on Stegzy's album collection

Feb 16

From the Sea to the Land Beyond – British Sea Power [#502]

by stegzy

Sea-to-the-land-beyondRegular music project visitors, British Sea Power, return today with their 2013 release, From the Sea to the Land Beyond.

The album is actually a soundtrack for Penny Woolcock’s film  From the Sea to the Land Beyond shown originally on BBC 4. The film is a showreel of archive footage from the BFI showing coastal life and activities through the ages accompanied by the unique salt encrusted rusty sound of British Sea Power.

Reworking their own material to provide haunting instrumentals, British Sea Power did an amazing job. I like to play guess the original song when listening to this album. For example Track 2 and the overarching theme throughout the album, Remarkable Diving Feat is a reworking of Waving Flags from Do You Like Rock Music 

This is by far my most favourite album/soundtrack of the decade. You could listen to this album while watching any archive cine or super 8 material and not feel it was out of place. It really works.

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2013 British Sea Power Soundtracks

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Aug 18

Do You Like Rock Music? – British Sea Power [#380]

by stegzy

Do You Like Rock Music - British Sea PowerI have to admit that when I started writing the music project, British Sea Power were a band I’d heard snippet of and thought pretty much “Meh”. However, during that time and following the amazing film From the Land to the Sea Beyond I’m a convert. I can hear what they are trying to convey and I totally “get” them.

Even if how I “get” them differs from how they, the band, want people to “get” them. Aurally, to me at least, they are the orange rust smeared metal columns sticking out of the disturbed North Sea of British noughties music and are awesome at doing it too.

We’ve met British Sea Power before on the music project, with their debut The Decline of British Sea Power. However, Do You Like Rock Music? is totally a great starting place for someone coming fresh to the band, indeed, many of the tracks on the album reappear in the film From the Land to the Sea Beyond. British Sea Power might not be everyone’s choice of sound but if you like your music salt encrusted and flavoured with centuries of coastal industry and deprivation, then I suggest you give them a try.

British Sea Power

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Jul 13

The Decline of British Sea Power – British Sea Power [#353]

by stegzy

Decline_of_British_Sea_PowerRecently, although British Sea Power have not until now appeared on the music project, I’ve developed a taste for their music. Some time recently, possibly 2012, there was a thing on the BBC called Storyville: From the Land to the Sea which, to keep short, was a montage of old seaside footage from the BFI put to music by British Sea Power.

I loved it.

So I went off and downloaded what I could using the crap rural internet I have access to and began to educate myself in the chronology of British Sea Power.

The band have connections to the Lake District and Brighton and their style is kind of a cross between Elbow, Kaiser Chiefs and Blur. They’re quite quirky and definitely British; You can just tell. The album Decline of British Sea Power is their first.

As an introduction to the band Decline is probably not a good place to start. It’s as though they’re still to find their own unique style and are appeasing the mass populace with the selection of tracks here. To quote New-Mrs-Gnomepants when hearing track 2 Apologies to Insect Life: “This is a racket”. However their rusty sea washed iron and rolling sea sound does come out in a number of tracks too.

If I ever get round to making my epic round coastal Britain television-documentary, I’d certainly use British Sea Power to provide the soundtrack.

British Sea Power

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