Their sound has showed shades of their mellow yet tuneful post-punk forerunners such as Echo & the Bunnymen, Modern English, New Order, and The Smiths while still pursuing their own path. A fourth record, 1996's 'See', was released by Mercury/PolyGram before the band began leaving the majors altogether in the late 90s. The band did several independent releases from 1999 on into the 00s, including 2004's well-received 'Waterworks'. Then, several years later, the group began working on a new full length record, their first full album release in over a decade. Entitled 'Ultramarine', the band scheduled it for release on March 19, 2013 through Korda Records, a new Minneapolis-based cooperative label that the group helped launch in late 2012.
Over the years, they've gained a reputation as one of America's more influential dream pop artists, forming a sound that many artists would look to from the 90s onward. Their debut, 'The Ocean Blue', continues to draw praise from retrospective-minded musical critics as well as alternative music fans in general. In recent years, the group's followers have found 'Ultramarine' a spectacular return to form that recalls the band’s earliest work and should appeal to fans old and new alike.
On the title, band member and singer-songwriter David Schelzel has explained, "We chose Ultramarine to reflect several things. The mood of this record is a little blue, and harkens back to our other "blue" record, Cerulean. It's also a fun play on our name, and we were very conscious of our history as a band making this record. Thinking about our music, what it's meant to us and others. Asking a lot of existential questions about the band, what it was, is, and could be in the future."
Ultramarine was recorded in Minneapolis, MN, Portland, OR, and Mt Gretna, PA over several years, with Schelzel and drummer Peter Anderson producing. "This record unfolded in slow motion,” says Schelzel, “At a glacial pace. We were not on the clock we were when we were on the major labels. And we were not in an insulated studio world for months making the music. We made it mostly in our own studios, on our own time. Regular life drifted into this one more than our earlier records.”
Music recording and distribution, and the social networks of the Web have changed the landscape completely since the band’s last full length. Says Anderson, “We are using gear and technology on the recording side that for the most part didn’t exist when the band was making big budget studio records in the 90s. It’s allowed us to do a lot of things we’d never been able to do years ago, all at a much cheaper cost. We also have the ability to connect with people directly via the Web that wasn’t really there when we did our last release."
Musically, the new record is a return to form for the band. As well as a new beginning. Lyrically it is romantic, melancholic and impressionistic. The melodic singing, chimey guitars and lush keyboards the band is known for weave their way through the songs. Even the saxophone has returned on the opening track. But it is a record full of music that sounds very of the moment.
"It's an interesting time for us to be putting out a new record. So much of the music we see and hear now reminds me of things I loved growing up," say guitarist Oed Ronne. "My friends in their twenties like The Smiths and New Order. It's a strange thing, but good for us I think. We'd love to reconnect with our old fans, but also make new ones among the ranks of the young."
"I'm really looking forward to sharing this new music with people who know us and people who’ve never heard us before. And play some shows," says bass player Bobby Mittan. "It's been way too long."
Bliss Is Unaware
The Ocean Blue Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you will find you're on the shore
Miss the point
And you will think you're very sure
Bliss is, bliss is unaware
Until the shot rings out
And you will find
Hit the switch
And you will find it on the screen
Hit remotes
And you will find you're entertained
Bliss is, bliss is unaware
While you laugh to death
You'll find it
Hits you pleasantly
Miss the boat
And you will find you're on the shore
Miss the point
And you will think you're very sure
Miss the boat
And you will find you're on the shore
Miss the point
And you will think you're very sure
Bliss is, bliss is unaware
Until the shot rings out
And you will find
It's just a lie, lie, lie
The Ocean Blue's "Bliss Is Unaware" is a song that speaks to the idea that sometimes we can become so lost in our own sense of certainty and blissful ignorance that we fail to see the truth that is right in front of us. The opening lines, "Miss the boat, and you will find you're on the shore / Miss the point, and you will think you're very sure," suggest that failing to see things as they truly are can lead us down the wrong path. The chorus, "Bliss is, bliss is unaware / Until the shot rings out / And you will find / It's just a lie, lie, lie," underscores this idea, emphasizing that our sense of bliss is often built on falsehoods and illusions.
The song also speaks to the idea of being entertained and distracted by technology, as evidenced by the lines "Hit the switch / And you will find it on the screen / Hit remotes / And you will find you're entertained." This suggests that our ability to connect with each other and the world around us can be hindered by our reliance on screens and devices.
Overall, "Bliss Is Unaware" is a cautionary tale that reminds us to stay vigilant and aware of the world around us, rather than getting lost in our own sense of bliss and complacency.
Line by Line Meaning
Miss the boat
If you fail to recognize an opportunity, then you will find yourself stuck in one place
And you will find you're on the shore
This missed opportunity will leave you stranded and unable to move forward
Miss the point
If you fail to grasp the true meaning of something important, you will end up misunderstanding it entirely
And you will think you're very sure
Your lack of understanding will make you overconfident in your beliefs
Bliss is, bliss is unaware
Happiness can often come from ignorance, and not knowing the truth about a situation can feel blissful
Until the shot rings out
However, a sudden event can shatter this sense of contentment
And you will find
This event will bring you face to face with reality
It's just a lie, lie, lie
You will realize that your blissful ignorance was based on falsehoods or misconceptions
Hit the switch
When you turn on a device, you can access a world of entertainment
And you will find it on the screen
The screen brings you into this other reality and can be all-encompassing
While you laugh to death
Entertainment can be so engrossing that it's almost deadly because it can be a distraction and lead you to lose valuable time
You'll find it
In the end, you'll come to the realization
Hits you pleasantly
And this realization might be a bit of a shock, but you may find it refreshing, even if it's not entirely comfortable
Contributed by Liliana F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.