by Hilary Stohs-Krause
Dear Admiral, by Omaha band I Am the Navigator, is a concept album about life as a sailor, seemingly written for children: high adventure on the seven seas! Epic battles with kraken-like creatures! Vacationing on beautiful beaches!
Except … everyone kind of always dies.
It's as if Kimya Dawson and Tennis wrote an album together, but then Elliott Smith edited the lyrics.
As I Am the Navigator's Erich Bockman and Jesy Stortenbekcer share vocals and play keyboards and drums on many songs, comparisons to husband-wife duo Mates of State are obvious. The poppy, DIY sound and sometimes strained (or even off-key) vocals are particularly reminiscent of that group’s debut album, My Solo Project. But in terms of brightly colored music about depressing topics, I Am the Navigator reminds me more of fellow Omahans Tilly and the Wall.
The lyrics are simple, if not simplistic. The two focus on basic storytelling, and it more or less works, but the songs start to sound repetitive after a while, especially since words like “cannon,” “crew,” "ship" and “fleet” aren’t particularly common in pop music.
But a few songs break the mold, including “The Hunger From the Deep,” which features one of the only calls to action (through a rousing bridge); “Beaches of Spain,” about vacationing on shore leave; and “Annabelle,” a letter from a sailor to his daughter: “Your father’s not a coward anymore.”
While I appreciate the punk-esque quality to Bockman’s voice, Stortenbecker’s clear, light soprano can make his sound forced.
But at a time when it seems few musicians think of the album as being a whole entity and not just a collection of parts, I appreciate how they tried to weave the songs into a complete story. And while the lyrics might not deviate much, the tunes and tempos vary widely. The abundant use of male-female harmony also adds a lovely fullness to some of the songs.
All in all, it’s a pleasant listen, and I admire their ambition. I'm looking forward to more from this group.
Hilary Stohs-Krause has been listening to albums in their entirely a lot lately; she's preparing for her annual "Best Albums of the Year" edition of the X-Rated radio show. (Suggestions?) Hilary gets her local music fix through HN and as a cocktail waitress at Duffy's Tavern. For more on Nebraska ladies making music, tune into the "X-Rated: Women in Music" radio show every Thursday from 1:05 to 3 p.m. CST at 89.3FM KZUM in Lincoln or streaming live at kzum.org. Find it on Facebook at facebook.com/xmusicnebraska. Or, if Tumblr is more your style, check out xmusic.tumblr.com.