As such, City of Ships’ debut album falls neatly into this chaos, shiftily toe-ing that aforementioned line, with rumbling, pulsating tempos and abstract harmonic sensibility performed with an ear for catchiness and that heartfelt earnestness that charactarizes many modern bands on both ends of the spectrum. Just when an especially heavy moment has you doubting the group will have that much mainstream appeal, an especially gentle part will have you picturing disaffected girls and girlish looking boys swaying along with their consistent and somber flow. Recalling at times some of the groups mentioned earlier, as well as Floor/Torche, Aereogramme, Planes Mistaken for Stars and even Porcupine Tree, the Floridian three-piece certainly ply their trade with an emphasis on building momentum while leaving room for some cosmic melodic ruminations, focusing on winding up for the big moment, the bombastic chorus and soul-searing release thereafter, and in terms of their modus operandi, the group can certainly be said to achieve the sound they are after, particularly hitting their stride mid-album with the combo of “March of the Slaves” and “Welcome to Earth”.

However excellent the performance and production of Look What God Did to Us is, though, I still can’t say City of Ships are really grabbing me, either in the sense of touching the heart with their more emotive moments, or banging my head with their heavier riffs. While being a big fan of many of the bands I’ve compared them with, the strength of the songwriting is just not quite there yet, though the potential certainly exists for it to get there with time. Maybe in this case it is a totally subjective complaint, as I can’t find many objective complaints specifically in composition or execution even after 7-8 listens where I was actively trying to find it. In fear of feeling like a failure as a reviewer by not being able to tell you to love it or leave it, I’m afraid my best direction to the reader is to indulge in another post-millenial music industry cliché, take the bands I mentioned above, put their names on a sticker preceded by the phrase ‘recommended for fans of” and give it a shot. For me personally, the band, if not this album particularly, is worthy of revisiting in the future.

CITY OF SHIPS has been touring relentlessly since its inception in 2005, promoting self-released EPs as well as CD and Vinyl releases from independent Richmond, VA labels Forcefield Records and the Perpetual Motion Machine. The trio will embark on an extensive European tour this summer, first with label mates Rosetta and later joining The End Records’ Braveyoung (previously named Giant, from NC). In addition, the band is currently booking a run of East Coast US dates with Liquid Limbs happening late May through mid-June.

“Look What God Did to Us” is CITY OF SHIPS’ first release with Translation Loss. The album will be co-released with indie label Sound Study Recordings from Gainesville, FL. Translation Loss will take charge of the CD release (expecting a mid-late summer release) while Sound Study will handle the vinyl and digital versions for this remarkable 10 song full-length debut. Both record labels are intensely passionate about the band’s music and look forward to helping present CITY OF SHIPS to the world. For more information on Sound Study Recordings, please visit:

http://soundstudyrecordings.com  

Drew Juergens from Translation Loss on the signing and co-release:

“I could not be more excited about working with CITY OF SHIPS. Ever since I heard their tour EP and saw them live, I knew they were destined to create greatness. The new record is absolutely amazing and will take the world by surprise with its intrinsic groove and the jaw-dropping musicianship it presents.”

 CITY OF SHIPS’ Translation Loss debut entitled “Look What God Did to Us” was tracked and mixed over two sessions in February and March of this year with producer Andrew Schneider at Translator Audio (Pelican, Made Out of Babies, Unsane) in Brooklyn, NY and will be mastered by Nick Zampiello at New Alliance East in Boston.     

For more information on CITY OF SHIPS, visit: http://www.myspace.com/cityofships

*Audio from CITY OF SHIPS’ upcoming release will be posted soon!

UPCOMING SHOWS:
May 27 2009 – St. Augustine w/ Liquid Limbs St. Augustine, Florida

May 28 2009 @ Backbooth w/ Liquid Limbs Orlando, Florida

May 29 2009 @ New World Brewery w/ Liquid Limbs, Guiltmaker Tampa, Florida

May 30 2009 @ The Atlantic w/ Liquid Limbs, So Pastel Gainesville, Florida

May 31 2009 – Pensacola w/ Liquid Limbs Pensacola, Florida

Jun 1 2009 – Birmingham w/ Liquid Limbs Birmingham, Alabama

Jun 2 2009 @ JJ’s Bohemia w/ Liquid Limbs Chattanooga, Tennessee

Jun 3 2009 – Louisville w/ Liquid Limbs Louisville, Kentucky

Jun 4 2009 – Cincinnati w/ Liquid Limbs Cincinnati, Ohio

Jun 5 2009 @ Pleasure Island w/ Liquid Limbs Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Jun 6 2009 – @ Guido’s Speakeasy w/ Liquid Limbs Frederick, Maryland

Jun 7 2009 @ Nara Sushi w/ Liquid Limbs Richmond, Virginia

Jun 8 2009 – tba w/ Liquid Limbs Washington, DC

Jun 9 2009 – Philadelphia w/ Liquid Limbs Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Jun 10 2009 – The Stomping Grounds w/ Liquid Limbs Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Jun 11 2009 – tba w/ Liquid Limbs Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Jun 12 2009 – tba w/ Liquid Limbs, Irepress, Junius Brooklyn, New York

Jun 13 2009 – tba w/ Liquid Limbs Boston, Massachusetts

Jun 14 2009 – tba w/ Liquid Limbs Providence, Rhode Island

EUROPEAN TOUR W/ ROSETTA AND BRAVEYOUNG

Jun 17 2009 @ Firlej Club w/ Rosetta & Blindead Wroclaw, PL

Jun 18 2009 2 Klub 007 Strahov w/ Rosetta & Blindead Prague, CZ

Jun 19 2009 @ An Club w/ Rosetta & Blindead Athens, GR

Jun 20 2009 @ Yacht Club w/ Rosetta & Blindead Brno, CZ

Jun 21 2009 @ Dürer Kert w/ Rosetta & Blindead Budapest, HU

Jun 22 2009 @ Arena Dreiraum w/ Rosetta & Blindead Vienna, AT

Jun 26 2009 @ tba w/ Rosetta & Blindead Paris, FR

Jun 28 2009 @ 013 w/ Rosetta & Blindead Tilburg, NL

Jun 29 2009 @ Mikz w/ Rosetta & Blindead Berlin, DE

Jun 30 2009 @ Black Fleck w/ Braveyoung Potsdam, DE

Jul 1 2009 @ Az Conni w/ Braveyoung Dresden, DE

Jul 2 2009 @ Zoro w/ Braveyoung Leipzig, DE

Jul 3 2009 @ Elfer Club w/ Braveyoung Frankfurt, DE

Jul 4 2009 @ De Rots w/ Braveyoung Antwerpen, BE

Jul 5 2009 @ Le Select w/ Braveyoung Lille, FR

Jul 6 2009 – tba w/ Braveyoung Southern UK

Jul 7 2009 @ Harry’s Bar w/ Braveyoung Stoke on Trent, UK

Jul 8 2009 @ Criterion w/ Braveyoung Leicester, UK

Jul 9 2009 @ Cassette w/ Braveyoung Glasgow, UK

Jul 10 2009 @ Joseph’s Well w/ Braveyoung Leeds, UK

Jul 11 2009 @ Groomfest w/ Braveyoung Lincoln, UK

Jul 12 2009 @ Kingstown Cafè w/ Braveyoung Le Havre, FR

Jul 13 2009 @ Le Noctambule Bar w/ Braveyoung Montaigu, FR

Jul 15 2009 @ Le Pavillon Sauvage w/ Braveyoung Toulouse, FR

Jul 16 2009 @ Spain w/ Braveyoung tba

Jul 17 2009 @ Fabrica Do Som w/ Braveyoung Porto, PT

Jul 18 2009 @ Siroco w/ Braveyoung Madrid, ES

Jul 19 2009 @ Estraperlo Club w/ Braveyoung Badalona, ES

Jul 20 2009 @ Centre Civic La Fonteta w/ Braveyoung St. Feliu De Codines, ES

Jul 21 2009 @ Lyon’s Hall w/ Braveyoung Lyon, FR

Jul 22 2009 @ Centro Tecchio w/ Braveyoung Vicenza, IT

Jul 23 2009 @ Habitat Skatepark w/ Braveyoung Arezzo, IT

Jul 24 2009 @ Sunny Red w/ Braveyoung Meunchen, DE

Jul 25 2009 @ Waldmeister Club w/ Braveyoung Solingen, DE

Jul 26 2009 – Austria w/ Braveyoung tba

Jul 27 2009 – Germany w/ Braveyoung tba

Jul 28 2009 @ Gruene Haidt w/ Braveyoung Hof, DE

Jul 29 2009 @ Immerhin w/ Braveyoung Wuerzburg, DE

Jul 30 2009 @ Winston w/ Braveyoung Amsterdam, NL

Jul 31 2009 @ ACU w/ Braveyoung Utrecht, NL

Aug 1 2009 @ La Taverne du Théâtre w/ Braveyoung La Louvière (Hainaut), BE

Aug 2 2009 @ Offshore Fest w/ Braveyoung Blankenberge, BE