Jane’s Party - “Ships On An Ocean”

It can often be rather difficult to catch our attention within the realm of indie rock, but Jane’s Party have just released “Ships On An Ocean,” a track that cannot be ignored.

To get straight to it, Jane’s Party have taken all of the necessary ingredients and delivered them to our ears in a very special way. Even from the opening drum fill, it is easy to tell that “Ships On An Ocean” has been packaged with care, leaving all of its analogue thickness intact– a feat that many modern artists strive to achieve. A vibey guitar barely has a chance to strike its first chord when our ears are met with the vocal– just the way we like it, as we’ve found it increasingly difficult to become inspired by an elongated intro.

The song’s mood is matched by its subject matter, which was incited by the demise of a relationship. The track is dark and gritty and our knee-jerk reaction is to compare it to a sort of Lord Huron-meets-Arctic Monkeys, with some remnants of The Killers. Along the way, various elements are added to the production to ensure that no listener is left feeling unsatisfied, such as the tambourine on the second verse, the glimpses of guitar feedback, and, of course, the layers of vocals on the refrain. And though we’re not generally fans of over-flashy guitar solos, the one included here is so interesting and tasteful that it has quickly become one of our favorite aspects.

If you’re in the market for music inspired by breakups– and, let’s face it, who isn’t?– then you absolutely cannot go wrong by pressing play on this one. And from what we can tell, most of Jane’s Party’s singles have ultimately resulted in an ensuing album release, so we are going to listen to “Ships On An Ocean” in hopes that there is much more to come.

-TM