The Scourge of the Sea "Make Me Armored" (Alias Records 2006)

Low-fi pop disarms the listener

The Scourge of the Sea are a three piece band from Lexington, Kentucky. Writing low-fi pop with subtle melodies and Byrdsy hooks - the band features Robby Cosenza, Justin Craig and Andrew English and they seem to be able to handle all the instruments with Robby Cosenza handling the lead vocals. All eleven songs are self penned with English and Cosenza handling the bulk of the song writing duties. The band have served their time in supporting the likes of Rogue Wave, Clem Snide and Langhorne Slim and this release is their 'big-push' for a wider audience.

The record certainly highlights the strengths of the band and some of their obsure lyrics can be found on 'Hookers' with 'your licorice and alcohol went down easily, it kept me from believing in anything I see, it sugared up my tongue and filmed over my eyes.' Tucked away on this record are several catchy songs, in particular 'Smitten Kitten' and'My Sweet One,' although the pace slckens somewhat on 'Referee' where the song drifts along and you hope there's no extra time. Thankfully, the record gets back on track with the excellent 'Goodbye Darkness'. The last ten minutes are taken up by the last track 'Chocolate Chips' and an unamed hidden gem of a song. The record loses its way a bit on the longer tracks but there's plenty here to show the band have talent - if you have Rogue Wave in your collection this record is worth investigating.

Date review added:  Sunday, October 15, 2006
Reviewer:  Andy Riggs
Reviewers Rating:
Related web link:  Artist Website