Open Season [15th Anniversary Edition]

British Sea Power's first album, THE DECLINE OF BRITISH SEA POWER, melded the group's key influences (Echo & the Bunnymen, the Smiths, and U2) with the evocative, poetic lyrics and passionate singing of frontman Yan. Yet on its follow-up, OPEN SEASON, British Sea Power is less concerned than some of its young rock brethren with making a racket. Instead, the band devotes its energies to creating evocative, breezy soundscapes that give rise to well-crafted slices of sparkling pop.
The sighing, chiming "Victorian Ice" and the bright, airy "Be Gone" recall radio hits of the early 1980s, while the seductive croon of "Like a Honeycomb" gestures to the New Romantics of the same era. But British Sea Power goes beyond mere revivalism. Yan's literate, richly descriptive words paint a gallery of pictures in each song, and the ensemble's penchant for pitch-perfect songcraft (particularly on the rocker "How Will I Ever Find My Way Home?") keeps things fresh and engaging. This is a satisfying dose of Britpop that distinguishes itself among its post-punk-loving peers, while remaining immediately accessible.