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."
Cathedral Bells
The Ocean Blue Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Prince of Wales, these words that you've spoken are token
Oh, let's emerge from the shadows
Oh, let's emerge from the shadows
Socrates, this world of ideas has all faded
Solomon, these pages of gold are all jaded
Oh, let's emerge from the shadows
Oh, let's emerge from the shadows
Charlemagne, your swords and your coattails are broken
Prince of Wales, these words that you've spoken are token
Oh, let's emerge from the shadows
Oh, let's emerge from the shadows
The Ocean Blue's "Cathedral Bells" is a song that speaks about the passing of time and how the ideas and accomplishments of great people from the past may now seem faded and irrelevant. The lyrics mention historical figures like Charlemagne, Socrates, and Solomon, who were once considered to be giants in their respective fields. However, the “swords and coattails” of Charlemagne, who was a medieval king, have now been broken and his legacy has diminished with time. Similarly, for Socrates, who was considered to be a great philosopher, the "world of ideas" that he once established has "all faded".
In the chorus, the lyrics express a desire to "emerge from the shadows", which could be interpreted as a call to move beyond the achievements of our predecessors and forge our own path. It is a call to acknowledge the greatness of those who came before us, but not to be intimidated by them or to be content with the status quo. The repetition of the line "Oh, let's emerge from the shadows" emphasizes this idea and serves as a reminder that we must continue to push ourselves forward.
Overall, "Cathedral Bells" is a thought-provoking song that celebrates the legacy of past greats while also urging us to move forward and make our own mark on the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Charlemagne, your swords and your coattails are broken
Charlemagne, your power and prestige have crumbled and your forces have been defeated
Prince of Wales, these words that you've spoken are token
Prince of Wales, your promises and speeches are meaningless and insincere
Oh, let's emerge from the shadows
Let us come out of hiding and face reality
Socrates, this world of ideas has all faded
Socrates, your philosophy and idealism no longer hold relevance in this world
Solomon, these pages of gold are all jaded
Solomon, your wealth and prosperity have lost their luster and are unfulfilling
Oh, let's emerge from the shadows
Let us come out of hiding and face reality
Charlemagne, your swords and your coattails are broken
Charlemagne, your power and prestige have crumbled and your forces have been defeated
Prince of Wales, these words that you've spoken are token
Prince of Wales, your promises and speeches are meaningless and insincere
Contributed by Lila N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.