In Time You’ll Taste all the Salt in my Lungs.

It started in the winter around 3 years ago. Deciding to search online for some new music, I began my routine. First I start by scoping out my favourite music blogs – see what’s getting good reviews – then search through the artists on the same record label as musicians I already like. Finish off by looking at the ‘influences’  listed on other artists MySpace pages.  A simple formula, and yet it works for me.

Due to the nature of my search, I couldn’t tell you the exact source, but I ‘discovered’ a side project from Manchester Orchestra frontman Andy Hull, entitled Right Away Great Captain! He created a trilogy telling the, as of now, ongoing saga of a 17th century sailor who catches his wife sleeping with his brother. I decided to give the project a listen. The first track I heard was ‘Cutting off the Blood to ten’.

“Well I didn’t think it would end like this cutting of the blood to ten with a rope around my wrist…”

Considering this is a fictional story, the sincerity shone through every aspect of the music, from Andy’s hushed vocals to the sparsely produced guitar riffs, everything about this song made me want to hear more. So I did, 2 albums at 25 tracks in total later, and I was in love.

The first album of the trilogy, The Bitter End was recorded in only 3 days! Each song is a journal entry, either aimed toward his family at home or to his captain. The second and newest release to date, The Eventually Home tells of the sailor returning home from sea with the intention of killing both his wife and brother. Lots of dark emotions running through these albums then.

I’ve fallen for albums before, but these have taken up space in my conscience like no others ever have, they haunt me. I care that our protagonist has suffered a devastating betrayal. I worry whether he’ll drown in his own despair. But more than this, I feel like the aura of the album transcends the humdrum constraints of the everyday, making it another landmark in the soundtrack to my life.

In summery you should hear The Eventually Home and The Bitter End for yourselves, they’re really good.