Artist: Captain, We’re Sinking
Album: The Future is Cancelled
Genre: Punk
Label: Run For Cover

They’re not particularly outspoken about their principles, but if we trace the progress of Captain, We’re Sinking we find a band that has grown whilst making few compromises along the way. The recording is cleaner and the arrangements are stronger, but The Future is Cancelled is brimming with their trademarks of lengthy, drunken tales of desperate characters; almost story-songs but a bit more down to earth.

Their arrangements haven’t changed much over the years and CWS has always excelled at subtlety as well as simplicity. They’re not beating out straight eighth-note power chords but they’re not noodling around much either. Instead they rely on being resourceful with simple chord inversions, the occasional syncopation, and keeping things strictly rhythmic. The drumming is similar; never terribly complicated but never boring. The bass thuds along as it always has. It’s a simple formula for a band that needs to reserve its energy for their dual vocal attack of Bob Barnett and Leo Vergnetti.

Noticeable almost immediately is now much broader Bob’s vocal range and dynamics have become. In the past he might have strained a bit on a few of these but he nails it consistently this time around. “Lake” and “Annina We Will Miss You” display the payoff of a lot of hard work. Leo is no slouch either, especially on the peppy “Here’s To Forever” where he’s belting it out stronger than ever before. They touch on the standard topics they always have, spinning deep introspection into tales of desperate, often female characters wrestling with family, depression, and faith. Lot’s of the usual nods to bible stories abound, a sort of signature of the band.

“Adultery” kicks this whole thing off. It’s a bit of a fake-out tinged with a heavy, almost metal riff. It drags us up and down mountains of tense verses and explosive choruses that WILL find their way into your head and they will stay there and they will not leave for any reason.

Two standout tracks, “Lake” and “Here’s To Forever,” blend together as a build up and release respectively. “Lake” plods on heavily, exploding into blistering choruses but always trotting along steadily. Barnett is pushing every last bit of air that he’s able and then taking it all back just to lose it again thirty seconds later. This tension is maintained throughout. It’s not until the seamless transition into “Here’s To Forever” that this tension is fully relieved and Vergnetti takes over. The snappier tempo, lively bass and more playful guitars reinvigorate and refocus things as the record enters its home stretch.

Overall, The Future Is Cancelled is the kind of record that requires a careful listen-through. Not everyone is going to dig that. While the band can write some excellent melodies, this record isn’t just built on catchy choruses. This comes off as a songwriter’s album. It’s packed full of stories rather than hooks, and that seems to be exactly what fans of the band have been waiting for.

Score: 8/10
Review written by: Chris Lawless

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James Shotwell

James Shotwell is the founder of Under The Gun Review. He loves writing about music and movies almost as much as he loves his two fat cats. He's also the co-founder of Antique Records and the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. You should probably follow him on Twitter.

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