The most asked question in the Brisbane local rock scene for 2005 was “How many people are in The Gin Club?” And the answer? Well, it changes every week. This country and blues collective seems to grow new members every month, and it’s reflected in their live show, which steadily improved throughout the year. What was once haphazard and static became dynamic and mesmerising. So, too, it is with their albums. While their first album, Virginibus Peresque, was a rather hit and miss collection of individual songs, their sophomore album, Fear Of The Sea, sees the band finding a consistent theme and mood, and using it to full advantage.
Fear Of The Sea opens with I’ve Been Waiting, an simple uptempo number. Singer (at least for this song) Jacob Harris, accompanied by a simple acoustic guitar, laments love found and lost over the course of a lifetime. Jim is similar, but the introduction of a banjo lightens the mood, which is counterbalanced by Ben Salter’s muted vocals, until the arrival of a rocking chorus with the unforgettable line “You’ve got a lot of nerve to try and get away with not having any nerves no more, cause you fucking killed them all.”
Gabriel has been getting airplay on Triple J, and with good reason. It’s a soulful and melodic song, and Ben Salter’s vocals get back to his heartfelt bluesy best. It also features the debut of the harmonica, at least for this album. Campus Blues takes the foot right off the accelerator, a blues number which demonstrates the Gin Club’s versatility, and the harmonica is, once again, a highlight. The eponymous Fear Of The Sea slows down the pace even further, a mourning piano number which plucks at the heartstrings. I Was A Young Boy starts out softly, but electric guitars soon crash into this melancholic ballad. Drug Flowers, another radio hit, is definitely the best song on the album, and is the closest thing Gin Club have ever had to a pop song, while still retaining their unmistakable style. Pirate Song sees the return of the banjo and is an excellent sea shanty, while the Travelling Song is an unmistakable road trip song, complete with harmonica sections. Sometimes Sober, Honey Don’t and Small Craft Warnings round out the album with the last song making fine use of the cello skills of Bridget Lewis, who regularly plays with the band on stage.
The Gin Club’s many local fans may not recognise all of the songs on this album. After all, with a nine piece outfit, there’s often more people on stage during a Gin Club song than is strictly necessary. The band have taken advantage of their studio recording to pare back some songs to their bare basics, which also draws attention to their strengths. It’s the consistency of theme and mood which is most impressive about this album. Finding a central idea and theme has definitely helped the Gin Club, and the fact that so many different singer/songwriters can craft an album which varies so much from song to song but still feels like a cohesive unit makes Fear Of The Sea one of the best albums of 2005.
