Unwed Sailor @ The Knitting Factory [4.3.08]

“This song is ten years old,” announced Jonathan Ford, bassist and frontman of instrumental rock band Unwed Sailor. “Is that too old?” No one in the well-behaved crowd at the Knitting Factory uttered an objection. “It is for me,” said Ford. “Just kidding.” And with that, the band struck up “Firecracker,” a dreamy piece from the 1999 EP of the same name.

Unwed Sailor have kept a certain consistency in their music over the years. If you liked them ten years ago, chances are, you like them now. There have been no ill-conceived Ska albums, no forays into pseudo-Springsteen heart-on-sleeve songwriting, no dabbles in African folk music. But consistency does not equal monotony. Unwed Sailor have have spent the past ten or so years since Firecracker expanding their catalogue of delicate, instrumental soundscapes, experimenting with ambient noise (Circles EP) and a story-driven acoustic song cycle (The Marionette and the Music Box) , but always managing to sound fresh and interesting, like a brighter, sunnier journey to Slint’s Spiderland, or perhaps what Explosions in the Sky would sound like if they could distill their drama and impact into a perfect three minute song.

Unwed Sailor’s set at the Knitting Factory was a nice balance between older material and songs from their latest album, Little Wars, perhaps the greatest departure for the band in it’s history. Little Wars is less post rock and more straight up rock with a definite new wave and shoegaze influence, Cure-esque synthesizers and all. The new songs are concise and dynamic, at times, bordering on epic. Even so, new and old songs sat next to one another agreeably, rooted in Ford’s sturdy bass lines and powerful melodies. Though Ford seemed deeply moved by the music, rocking back and forth as he pounded on his bass, I did wish his bandmates put a little more effort into their stage presence. I know it must require a lot of concentration to play those intricate guitar parts, but...does that mean you won't smile just a little when the music is this good?

Unwed Sailor concluded their set with “Ruby’s Wishes,” another track off the near-decade old Firecracker. "Ruby's Wishes" is a beautiful song with a weaving guitar melody that builds up until it breaks away into an uptempo, fist-in-the-air climax. By now, the band have probably played "Ruby's Wishes" too many times to count, but it still sounds exciting, and I can sense the crowd's collective disappointment when it ends; proving that the song and the band have aged gracefully over the years.