Always game for some
sweet, breezy indie pop, Anthony Rochester's winsome concept
album eked a smile out of me right from the opening lines of album
opener (and best song) "I Love You Baby." Likewise, the twelve-track
record's concept - music to describe and accompany Rochester's
intergalactic journey/love-story - is a merrily quaint if outright cheesy one, ideally designed for non-cynical ears.
At twelve tracks,
this bedroom effort risks being a bit too long for its own good,
though an appreciable dose of hooks keeps many of these simple
songs feeling fresh. Guitar, keyboards, bass, and vocals adorn
Spaceship's elegant pop tidbits, with the occasional bit of strings and bells
for added effect. The overall sound recalls the understated charm
of the Kings of Convenience and Belle and Sebastian. The major knock on Spaceship is that
several of its best songs sit at the front of the album, leaving the
record's second half a tad arid. Consider the British Invasion
influenced sound of "Did You Lose Weight?", with its distinct
secret-agent vibe; it,
along with quirky, Casio-drenched "Interplanetary Relationships Can
Be Problematic at the Best of Times" and the already-mentioned
opener, exhaust three of the disc's best songs within the first
three tracks.
Still, the less
consistently impressive second-half of Spaceship boasts
enough recommendable fodder to keep the keen pop fan feeling sunny. Although
"Rain" and "Mathematics" are undeniably bland filler, "Just Sigh and
Move On" boasts a winning chorus and "Lipscombe Larder" is
resplendent and original. Despite its flaws, Music for in the Spaceship
deserves to be heralded as a charming work of bedroom pop that ranks
among the Series Two label's best releases.
