Los Angeles-based Indie-Rock band "Ships Have Sailed" has been steadily growing their fanbase and sharpening their sound since the 2013 debut "Someday EP" dropped. Fast forward to today, and the band's catalog has bloomed into a fine selection of vibrant singles and effervescent EPs that showcase the vision of founder and guitarist/vocalist Will Carpenter: A buoyant and optimistic musical counterbalance to the daily grind of life, a space where melodies and harmonies translate to the congruent internal world that's shared between each of its members and the listeners seeking the sonic balm that they offer.

The Lineup for the band has been in almost constant flux, with Carpenter always at the center and, more recently, with Art Andranikyan as a fixture on drum duty. This has allowed for a variety of sounds across their releases to coalesce into this first Long-format Album, showing a clear affinity for exploration and a fluid approach that is certain to become a trademark for the band. So even if they openly structure their songs after Pop standards, they eschew falling into any sort of pattern for too long.

What immediately jumps out at you from the "Ages" album is that the band isn't shy or lacking in any confidence over their identity. They know that their music is largely upbeat, optimistic, fresh, and easy to digest, though that is not to say that it is lacking in any complexity, sincerity or grit, oftentimes it all stems from relatable emotional low points only to shine a light on the more constructive aspects. It truly feels like "Ages" is a very thoughtful and forthcoming palate cleanser that reminds you to keep centered and positive during these... "interesting times" that we live in, and it does so in a way that is respectful of the listener's intelligence by avoiding any overly-saccharine melodies or platitudinal purple-prose lyricism.

I wanted to jump into the songs individually but I feel though as to give the album its due, it's best to be as terse as possible and let each song connect with you individually, as I feel like "Ages" is more personal than usual for a first album, with its biggest strengths being in its ability to latch on to different experiences and perspectives.

The opening statement for the album is called "Can't go back", and it starts off with a simple vocal introduction that frontloads the song's message right away, and it gives us a taste of the sort of songs we can come to expect: highly introspective, full of straightforward wisdom and a level of constructive criticism that you could see aimed at either yourself or someone in your life. It's the kind of song that represents that sort of positive vulnerability that Carpenter seems to lean on for his songwriting; a purposeful critical eye that explores human behavior in a way that is led by a sense of compassion and understanding.

The next song on the list is the heaviest by far in the entire album. "More" turns away from the pop structure of the 1st track and instead of coming up with a very sleek hard-rock sound that immediately sets contrast and shows us the very broad range that the band is capable of. Of special notice is Will's own vocals, transformed from the low and soft tone of the previous track into a bonafide Rock & Roll Howlin' and Growlin'. The thematic heart of the song is in a deep hunger to get out there and really seize the day, to take control of your destiny and enjoy yourself doing so.

"Take My Money" finds the middle ground between the previous two songs, resulting in something that is both mellow and highly upbeat, giving lots of protagonism to some delicious basslines and catchy hooks that make this, in my opinion, an instant ready-for-radio hit that could be requested on every station you can dial to.

"Faithless" takes things on a bittersweet direction that plays off well off of "Take My Money" and sets a nice standard for what the sound of the band is. This is the unabashed indie-rock-with-pop-structures that we were promised and it certainly delivers. What I found to be this song's biggest strength was its very earnest lyrics, which -again- take on a bittersweet flavor when we take the upbeat music into account. The very first line of the song opens up on a very stark and powerful phrase: "He says your scars are beautiful//yeah that's his lie" and from there it builds up this sort of tough-lough honesty about a "faithless love" that still manages to leave you feeling good about it somehow.

"Breathe" is almost at the middle point of this journey, it effectively serves to split the album in half by giving some thematically fitting "breathing room" to what we've heard before. Every album needs a song that provides a break of sorts and lets everything up until that point sink in for the listener, just as every story has a point of no return around the middle part. "Breathe" is that point, by bringing everything down to a much more calm and mellow place, a vulnerable space where Will can be as genuine and open as he needs to in order to really connect with the listener in ways that more dynamic song just can't.

In a continuation of the mood set by "Breath", "Masks" is an even more vulnerable song that keeps it as simple and minimalistic as possible, filling the role of an interlude right in the middle of the album. it's a far cry from the previously rich and luscious sounds of the album so far, keeping an even more intimate relationship with the listener.

As the name Implies "Masks" is about the emotions and the pain we hide from others, and although it is a very melancholic piece, it doesn't dwell in self-pity or gloom, testifying to the Band's ability to always keep the flickering ember of hope and optimism even at the lowest point.

"Escape" begins the glorious but difficult ascent from the emotional-low point that is "Masks". It is not a straight crescendo, but it does brighten the mood further and slowly build up to a sense of contentment and replenishment as if this was the part of the journey where you're supposed to dust yourself off and get back on that horse.

"Love in October" takes its sweet time to get going, but once it does, It makes you appreciate the rhythms that Art Andranikyan has been bringing to the table so far. He is groovy and bright, always working in tandem with Will's guitar like a true duo that supports each other thoroughly. It's in him that the sound really comes together for them, really putting in the beat in "upbeat". This song, in particular, is among the strongest in the whole album, reminding me of ot of bands like The Killers or Interpol. I think this one could be a huge hit.

"Skin" surprises you at first by throwing a folksy Acoustic guitar in, and viving along the lines of a Sufjan Stevens song, at least at first. I don't want to gush overlong, but this is my absolute favorite song in the entire album, I would even go so far as to say that this song is the most lyrically impressive and... by a lot even. "Skin" truly does everything that the album has been trying to do so far but better: It encapsulates themes of resilience, pain, growth, learning, and all of these things that tie "Ages" together but it's just so elegantly eloquent and entertaining to listen to... In short, I feel really strongly about this song, and if you pay a little bit of attention I bet you will too.

"Alive" feels like a logical next step in the curve traced by "Skin". And it's one of the most musically-interesting songs that the album has to offer. it has elements of indie rock, retro synth-pop and it feels like it's about to turn into a math rock piece at any second, and although it doesn't, the guitar solo is as satisfying as anything else in the album.

I think this would be a great driving song, it's very exciting, easily bringing out a sense of thankfulness and appreciation. I know you'll be howling "I'M ALIVE!" too when that happens.

"Stay" is in a tough spot. on one side it has to follow the amazing energy of "Alive" and it also has to transition into the final song of the album. Not an easy task but "stay" does more than manage, it passes with flying colors, and becomes one of my personal favorites as well in an album that's been nothing short of excellent.

The titular track, "Ages" has the honor of closing down what has been a brilliant listening experience, wrapping things up conceptually and inviting us to meditate on the different stages of our lives, both the ones that we've gone through and the ones yet to come.

"Ages" manages to widen the range of sound that Ships Have Sailed is capable of, feeling less like an indie-Rock-pop song and more like a triumphant final anthem ripped out of a musical, with all the emotional weight of the story lifted off its shoulders by the grace of the conflict resolved.

Closing thoughts:

I went in knowing what Ships have Sailed was all about, but I don't think i was really prepared for the sheer quality and gravitas of this album. I feel like Will Carpenter's and Art Andranikyan have really come together as a solid unit capable of doing a very wide array of very interesting sounds that can carry an album on their musicianship alone, but it's the ethos of the band expressed through their songwriting that really takes the cake, it is without a doubt their most important asset and the biggest sign pointing towards great success and longevity within the music industry.

Don't miss out on this new album, It's terrific, particularly during its second half. I think there's not much else to say other than I'm very happy with the results and that I can't wait to hear more of these guys moving forward.

Ships Have Sailed has a new album and it's amazing.

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