As anyone with a smattering of life experience will surely agree, break-ups can be an absolute bitch. Whether it’s a split with a friend, lover or, in the case of Brooklyn trio We Are Augustines, a band, it can be a truly shitty time for all concerned. Thus it was with Pela. But Billy McCarthy, Eric Sanderson and Rob Allen have triumphed over adversity. Rise Ye Sunken Ships may be about dark times and darker themes but it is a magnificent record.
It is brave and bold in almost every respect: vocalist/guitarist McCarthy sings about the suicides of his brother and mother in a way that emphasises their – and his – humanity, a foundation stone on what is a bleak but beautiful offering. His impassioned performances on songs such as ‘Philadelphia (The City Of Brotherly Love)’ and ‘Patton State Hospital’ are spell-binding, stirring numbers that swell the soul. Similarly ‘Chapel Song’ and ‘Headlong Into The Abyss’ mark the three-piece out as real world-beaters.
Don’t be put off by the admittedly grim subject matter – Rise Ye Sunken Ships is one of the most uplifting records you’ll hear all year. Fans of The Gaslight Anthem, Chuck Ragan and singers who spill their guts out onstage every night will lap this up. Hole in the boat or no, We Are Augustines have arrived.