The Brighton via Cumbria outfit have been astonishing us with their erudite songwriting since the release of 2003’s raucous ‘The Decline of British Sea Power’ hit the shelves.
To honour the release, we’ve attempted the quite frankly, ridiculous task of picking our favourite 10 songs from the studio albums excluding ‘Everything Was Forever’ as we’re yet to fully digest it all. We’ve also excluded ‘Sea of Brass’ and ‘From the Sea to the Land Beyond’ as their majesty deserves their own features at a later date.
Three months ago, this seemed like a good idea. Today, having fallen out with my own conscience, can I ever really forgive myself for leaving out ‘K Hole’ or ‘Oh Larsson B’, remains to be seen. So, emotionally drained, bewildered as to why I ever thought this was a good idea, here they are. Enjoy:
10. Who’s In Control
In many ways, this former single defines them as a band. Anthemic and defiant, but never regressive! 10 years into their career, and following the huge success of 2008’s ‘Do You Like Rock Music?’, they exploded back into our consciousness with this guttural polemic.
Released before the May 2010 general election, it was a single that just kept picking up steam as Brown’s government began to decline and the community hates, born to rule old Etonians began their race to the bottom.
As we sit in the cesspool of Johnson’s reign, Yan’s vocal rage seems more apt now than ever before.
9. Open The Door
It’s almost inconceivable this song is fourteen years old as lyrically, it feels so in tune with escaping social media in today’s society and the struggles of masculinity that Grayson Perry has explored so eloquently
No matter the epoch, the struggles of modern life prevail and, for the band, it seems they were in search of an escape or creative reset ahead of their biggest selling album:
“Five young men went for a walk / Sat on a tree stump and had a talk / It takes something to be a man these days / Nobody's scared, but we hide anyway”
Many dubbed as landfill indie would meander their way to a guitar solo and yes, that is what Sea Power achieves here. However, few can impart such tender folk alongside the behemoth stadium-sized solo and remain cult heroes. They did!
8. The Voice of Ivy Lee
Only Sea Power could deliver a song about the father of crisis communications linked with the rise of Nazism sound so effortless. Majestic ethereal pop music to soundtrack their dismay that played a huge part in Brexit and Trump’s victories (Oh, kings of propaganda / Won't you take another / Look at all the things you've done).
7. The Lonely
Guitars gently lapping into shore ignite this mid-paced triumph. The vocal hook of “I drink all day and play by night / upon my casio electric piano” is astonishing to this day. Scott becomes an indie Richard Burton whilst around him, the guitars howl into the night, isolated, wrought with anguish but forever sublime.
6. Please Stand Up
What a glorious moment. All the rawness of the debut album melted away into this polished piece of alt-pop. It deserved much greater than 34 in the charts but, in the long run, it’s served them well to be on the fringe of pop.
5. Don’t Let the Sun Get In The Way
Heavenly backing vocals glisten like a reassuring angel whilst the protagonist drifts into despair. A year on from the tragic loss of David Bowie and Yan delivered this angelic homage to his great vocals.
It is though, the guitars where it’s true greatness lay. From the shimmering rays of hope to the archetypal self-destructive blasts, they encapsulate a sense of drama quite like no other.
4. Remember Me
This track, then, now and forever will always set fire to the world. It’s blistering guitars fire like Placebo were rewriting David Bowie’s ‘Heroes’ on an inordinate amount of speed. In 2002, The Coral’s ‘Goodbye’ and The Libertines’ ‘Up The Bracket’ and its b-side ‘The Delaney’ found a new path for the UK rock scene. In 2003, ‘Remember Me’ smashed it to pieces!
3. The Great Skua
All bands have instrumentals. Few have the cinematic glory of the Great Skua. The video really does speak for itself!
2. Carrion
This was their ‘Chemical World’ and ‘For Tomorrow’ moment. Raw and wayward but, riddled with great melody and drama, they shone a torch on the more polished pop prowess of what was to come in ‘It Landed On Oily Stage’ and ‘Please Stand Up’. For those of us who were there, for the obsessives, for people just like them, it’ll always be the track to cherish the most. The firstborn, the goodbye of a great friend who was going to change the world, for you as well as them.
1. Atom
For so much of the album, there is a feeling, we almost nicked the fa cup as the underdog. It’s always been their charm, but, on Atom, they strode out to Abide with Me at Wembley, wrapped the game up 3nil at halftime, and decided to play one-touch footy as their fans chanted “ole”.
The band’s identity, especially live, is put to record perfectly. Dramatic melancholic orchestration one minute, then drunken riot the next. Bliss!