After some personnel changes over the years, Victory at Sea seems to have found a trio that clicks with Mona Elliott on vocals, Mel Lederman on piano, and Dave Norton on drums.
I’ve never had a problem with angry girl music. In my younger, more easily influenced days, I did attend Lilith Fair, and P.J. Harvey was and remains one of my favourite musicians (in spite of her most recent release). The problem I’ve had with this genre is that the good, heartfelt, interesting music is often overshadowed by the mediocre (i.e. Alanis) and that it sometimes seems to become monotonous, difficult to distinguish one group from another. I mean how many times can you hear someone complaining, showing anger, before it all begins to sound that same.
That being said, there will always be a time, a mood, in my life when this type of music is all that I want to listen to. I hate that “angry” female lead singers tend to face more harsh criticism than their male counterparts and are dismissed as whiney or shrill. We are told again and again in our culture that no one likes an angry woman. Well, Victory at Sea is definitely angry and I have to say, I really like it.
I think the reason why I enjoyed this album more than their previous efforts is that despite similar themes, All Your Things Are Gone doesn’t seem entirely serious; lead singer Mona Elliott often injects levity and humour into otherwise scathing lyrics. I guess it’s easier to swallow anger when it’s given with a little bit of honey. I also am addicted to Elliott’s vocals. She has this fantastic raspy, bluesy voice that she puts to great use on this album.
I loved “No Reason To Stay;” the music is simple and bluesy and Elliott’s voice sounds fantastic and her pain real.
I found the arrangement on “To You and Me,” however, somewhat confused. The piano, drums, and guitar all seem to be fighting each other rather than working together and, at times, drown out Elliott’s great vocals.
“The Party” is one of the fastest tunes on the album and one of my favourites. “Bored Otherwise” is also up-tempo and extremely catchy. The melody on this track is fantastic; it could be a radio hit.
I loved the piano on every track and it, and Elliott’s great raspy voice, are what differentiate this group from others with a similar sound. There’s a reason that they has been around for so long, and has such a devoted following; their longevity is not a fluke. They are talented musicians who write music with great passion and intensity. After listening to this album I’m going to go back and re-listen to some of their earlier releases. I’m beginning to think that I never gave them the attention that they deserve.
