Send "Maritime " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Pitchfork |
 In hindsight, it seems unfair that Maritime were introduced to the world as a collaboration between former members of two bands with incredible rhythm sections. Dismemberment Plan bassist Eric Axelson and former Promise Ring drummer Dan Didier are among the most muscular and interesting players to emerge from mid-to-late-90s indie rock, and expectations were high for Maritime's 2004 debut, Glass Floor, to capitalize on the well-documented energy of both bands. For many who harbored such expectation-- myself, admittedly, included-- Glass Floor was a baffling disappointment, a seemingly flat and lifeless album from musicians who had proven themselves capable of so much more.Three consistent and thoroughly enjoyable albums later, it seems clear that Glass Floor was not a misstep, but rather the first step toward something different; simply put, Maritime do not create rhythm section music. While both the Dismemberment Plan and the Promise Ring often thrived on fast-paced collisions between complex and memorable individual parts, Maritime take a more holistic approach, often anchored by former Promise Ring vocalist Davey von Bohlen's ever-evolving melodic focus. Von Bohlen, whose minimal yelps were central to the Promise Ring's appeal, has grown into a mature and expressive singer; he not only sounds fully in control of his own voice, but he also seems more willing than ever before to let loose with a little bit of flair and panache. The second Maritime album since Axelson's departure and the addition of bassist Justin Klug, Human Hearts comes off as the most studio-centric batch of Maritime songs yet, a well-constructed but less immediate foray in texture and layering. Opener "It's Casual" crams the emotional meat and bones of its chorus into a single vocal harmony, a well-timed and well-executed gesture made all the more powerful by the space that surrounds it. "Black Bones" is evocative in its tone and setting, pulling back to emphasize von Bohlen's vocals whenever the song threatens to buckle under the weight of its own atmosphere....full text |
| Avclub |
| After releasing three solid indie-pop records, Maritime hadn’t quite escaped the shadow of Davey von Bohlen and Dan Didier’s previous group, The Promise Ring. But on the gorgeous Human Hearts, the Milwaukee band finally steps out. The opener, “It’s Casual,” is indicative of the lush, shimmering rockers to follow, bursting forth with a wash of reverb-drenched guitars and von Bohlen’s never-stronger vocals. “Faint Of Hearts” finds the band unexpectedly cribbing some of the texture and lyrics from Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy The Silence,” while “Out Numbering” surprises with a chugging new-wave hook and outsized chorus. The rest of Hearts is just as removed from the group’s fussed-over sound of yore, but still stocked with titles that demonstrate von Bohlen’s love for barely-there wordplay (“C’mon Sense,” “Apple Of My Irony”). The album bears all the hallmarks of relaxed, unfettered exploration; it’s a bold, assured effort that finds Maritime definitively stepping out from the shadows of the past and into a new light....full text |
| Absolutepunk |
| As someone for whom casual Friday means an opportunity to rock my vintage Promise Ring tee—in extra small, of course—I obviously retain more than a little interest in the work of Davey von Bohlen. And this would probably be more or less true even if his legacy were limited to playing guitar in Cap’n Jazz and fronting The Promise Ring’s early days. Luckily for us, providing the riffs for songs about Little League and waxing nostalgic himself about postcards, Cherry Cokes and the First World problems of suburban teenagers—as enduring as those things have surely been and continue to be—were more of a stepping stone than something for him to hang his hat on. From The Promise Ring’s reign as torch-bearers for mid-‘90s emo through their reimagining as power-poppers (Very Emergency) and roots-rockers (Wood/Water), what didn’t change were von Bohlen’s earnest delivery and keen sense of melody, common threads that would carry over to his next project, the indie-pop-leaning Maritime. Now, eight years and four full-lengths in, Maritime’s career is as long-running and their catalog as hefty as the iconic Promise Ring, and it’s a bit of a disappointment that they haven’t attained the same level of name recognition, as their records have been shining examples of intelligent pop songcraft. Human Hearts, their new fourth album and first release in almost four years, is no exception, and in fact may be their best work to date. Given von Bohlen’s penchant for reinvention it’s no surprise that Human Hearts treads some new ground for Maritime. Most notably, it’s their first album whose production could accurately be described as lush. Perhaps it’s due to the warming weather, but I can’t help but classify it as a summer record, though not as a soundtrack to sunny, breezy days as much as sticky nights. The smooth, glossy feel of a song like the single “Paraphernalia” call to mind the nocturnal vibe of Minus the Bear’s Omni, though von Bohlen’s lispy bleat makes him sort of an anti-Jake Snider, the antithesis of sexy. However, the album does contain some of the finest vocal performances he’s done to date, particularly “Peopling of London”, a ballad so remarkably fluid and nuanced, it’s almost hard to believe this is the same idiosyncratic singer. While the difference is noteworthy throughout the album, the real draw remains the songs themselves. From bright, mid-tempo fare like “Annihilation Eyes” and “Apple of My Irony” to the almost darkpop-sounding “Black Bones” and “Out Numbering”, there’s not a skippable track on the set. At ten songs and a taut thirty-five minutes, it seems like that’s what they were going for. While that may be a blessing for the attention-deficit crowd, it seems at times like Maritime sell themselves a bit short. Hearing a song like “Faint of Hearts”, the album’s only five-minute tune, it’s easy to wish they allowed themselves the freedom to jam a little more often. Admittedly, there are a great many worse things you can say about an album than that it leaves you wanting more. Now 35, von Bohlen continues to produce smart pop-rock songs and is showing no signs of slowing down. On Human Hearts’ closer “Apple of My Irony”, he sings “I’m growing lines around my eyes,” and “There’s no time to lose,” in a way that only someone who has watched his own youth flash by truly can. It’s easy to hope he maintains that sense of urgency well into the future. Nearly a decade ago, on Wood/Water, he laid before us all the reasons he should “Stop Playing Guitar”. Each new Maritime release offers more reasons to be thankful that he never did....full text |
Maritime lyrics
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