Victory at Sea are a standout new addition in the ever-multiplying fleet of oddly-tuned, slightly math-oriented, serious-minded indie bands with depressive tendencies-- bands that generally have similar grave, over-studied approaches to their emo/indie rock craft. And for reasons not wholly understood, this close-knit family of bands also associate themselves with nautical terms, miscellaneous aquatic subjects, and often, bad weather. (You know, me hearties-- incestuous bands like June of 44, Storm and Stress, the Shipping News, etc.) The average band member seems to be perpetually cold-- always wearing multiple layers of clothing and wool knit caps as if on a year 'round artic cruise in their minds.

But as much inspiration as Victory at Sea has obviously gained from Melville and Richard Henry Dana, they're also heavily influenced by any band in which Tara Jane O'Neil has played in. Anyway, in the interest of critical propriety and good taste, I'll make a serious effort not to employ the expected nautical references in writing the rest of this review.

To her credit, lead singer/guitarist Mona Elliot's guitar figures aren't terribly abstract and scientifically-contrived. She mostly forgoes the frenetic angularity of Rodan and June of 44 for more laid-back, right-brained pleasures-- the now- familiar alternate tunings that Lee Ranaldo and Thurston Moore brought into existence in the mid-'80s. Although a more straightforward Rodan song like "Bible Silver Corner," or virtually anything off of Retsin's Egg Fusion, could easily be direct progenitors of Victory at Sea's core sound.

Elliot relies on a sparse, carefully-measured guitar style that gives way to the occasional heavy noise squall. Yet, the main reason things stay afloat (oops) on The Dark is Just the Night is the persistent creativity of drummer Christina Files. In any instance where Elliot's guitar and voice go dead in the water, Files offers much-needed propulsion in the form of imaginative fills and eclectic timing. She sometimes gives the songs a nice tipsy, imbalanced feel, leaving it sort of lurching and heaving like a small craft in choppy waters. It's her drums that provide anchor for the guitar and bass while maintaining consistent rhythmic unpredictability.

All the while, Elliot keeps the guitar figures simple, drifting from a slightly chilly, angular bent to chording that evokes bright early morning sunlight glinting off icebergs. She's every bit as capable of formidable guitar melodrama as most of her more established peers, even without all the herky-jerky changes and jarring technical leap-frogging across the fretboard. Sometimes it's as if Elliot puts more emphasis on what she doesn't play than what she does. For the most part, though, Victory at Sea navigate around that almost-formulaic loud/soft guitar dynamic as they work out more gradual and less extreme shifts in sonic texture. They keep the tempos at a fairly moderate-to-slow pace, but occasionally, a song's progression is as deliberate and imperceptible as water evaporating.

And yes, like O'Neil and her emotionally neutral ilk, Elliot keeps the vocals low-key and brooding, but at times stretches her voice beyond its natural limit. Her lyrics amount to more than just morbidity from another frustrated college co-ed vying for indie rock's coveted Chan Marshall Memorial Post-Grunge Broken Spirit Award. Granted, you do have to be in a certain downcast frame of mind to really immerse yourself in The Dark is Just the Night long enough to appreciate it. But there are plenty of sunken treasures waiting if you're willing to descend into these viscous, watery depths.

-Michael Sandlin