Review / 200 Words Or Less
Captain, We're Sinking
...With Joe Riley

Evil Weevil (2011) Matthew Cebreros

Captain, We're Sinking – ...With Joe Riley cover artwork
Captain, We're Sinking – ...With Joe Riley — Evil Weevil, 2011

Captain, We're Sinking don't reinvent the wheel with their new 7" release. They aren't pushing any boundaries. Hell, they essentially rip-off The Lawrence Arms with no shame. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy every second of it.

With Joe Riley provides three tracks of incredibly catchy and well-done melodic punk. "The Ballad of Ichabond Crane" starts things off right with a riff that will be stuck in your head for hours. After just a few listens, I found myself singing along to every word. The hooks are infectious, and the vocals suite the music very well. "Manners Are Their Own Reward, Gentleman" is more abrasive and less catchy than the opener, but still a blast. "Foster Brothers" reinforces the comparison to The Lawrence Arms with lines like "I'm drowning in the smell of alcohol, burning paper and nicotine", but the song is so well-done that I found myself not caring that I was essentially listening to Lawrence Arms Jr.

It clocks in at just over 6 and a half minutes; just long enough to grab your attention and show you a good time. Pick this up just in time for spring, roll down your windows, and enjoy.

Captain, We're Sinking – ...With Joe Riley cover artwork
Captain, We're Sinking – ...With Joe Riley — Evil Weevil, 2011

Related features

Signals Midwest / Captain, We're Sinking

Interviews / Fest 13 • November 12, 2014

Related news

Run for Cover Records adds Captain, We're Sinking

Posted in Labels on October 15, 2012

Recently-posted album reviews

Fangus

Emerald Dream
From the Urn (2026)

The needle drops, and there’s no introductory sweaty handshake. Fangus doesn’t care for niceties; they’re ready to get down to brass-knuckle business. With their debut full-length, Emerald Dream, the Montreal quintet has exhumed a sound that feels less like a tribute to the early '70s and more like a master tape found rotting in a damp basement behind a stack … Read more

Overcalc

Fruits of the Decision Tree
Sleeping Giant Glossolalia (2024)

Some instrumental records create atmosphere while others create movement. Fruits of the Decision Tree feels like it creates an entire environment. It’s unstable, mechanical, strangely beautiful, and constantly in motion. The solo project of Nick Skrobisz (Multicult, The Wayward), Overcalc exists somewhere between electronic experimentation, prog-level guitar precision, ambient drift, and full on sci-fi hallucination. Trying to pin it cleanly … Read more

Fangus

Emerald Dream
From The Urn Records (2026)

The needle drops, and there’s no introductory sweaty handshake. Fangus doesn’t care for niceties; they’re ready to get down to brass-knuckle business. With their debut full-length, Emerald Dream, the Montreal quintet has exhumed a sound that feels less like a tribute to the early '70s and more like a master tape found rotting in a damp basement behind a stack … Read more