The Submarines
Nettwerk Records
(2008)
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There’s that blessed, albeit fragile, period at the beginning of every romance, the span of time when your newfound love seems faultless and pure , when the birds and the bees sing your lover’s praises; when nothing, simply nothing can go wrong because you have this perfect, new love in your life. However, the sad truth is that even the most positive person cannot help but recall the tinge of past heartaches. We realize at some point, this haze of happiness can dissipate into nothing. The hopeful period that prefaces such reality is known by some as the honeymoon period of a relationship. In the same vein, The Submarines’ sophomore album, Honeysuckle Weeks , is the sound epitome of that glorified moment, injected with feel-good melodies and a youthful, nearly naïve vigor that subtly conceals the complex rhythms and lyrics that hint at something darker and more desperate.

While the Submarines realize that yes, they too are experiencing their “honeysuckle weeks,” soon enough it’s inevitable that the sun might not shine as brightly, and those light weeks will give in to heavier years. Thus, each track is really an enchantment that lures you in through deceptively cheerful melodies while simultaneously conveying frightening—oftentimes harsh—truths about relationships. Take the track “Thorny Thicket,” whose exaggerated lines, “We tore the thicket down vine by vine/by naming each pain that had brought it to life/and then in the clearing two hearts undeceiving/no prickers no briars to upset our meeting only love” tells the tale of two lovebirds baring their souls and sharing their most painful secrets in an attempt to become closer.

The pervasive theme of newfound love in Honeysuckle Weeks comes as little surprise, as the album was conceived shortly after band mates Blake Hazard and John Dragonetti became an official couple. While you may think their blossoming relationship would be a distraction in the recording studio, the musical duo prove quite the opposite, utilizing their shared love to expand upon their earlier style, marked in their freshman album, Declare a New State! . Honeysuckle Weeks ’ experimental track “1940,” for example, is a perfect blend of The Submarines’ original pleasantness tempered with a darker, experimental beat. When listening to this song, it’s hard not to visualize, with lyrics such as, “Something’s wrong when you regret/Things that haven’t happened yet/It’s a curious day when morning comes/Without the feeling of alarm,” doubles as a twisted, haunting homage to depression—only tastefully played out at a 1940’s burlesque show.

Countering such neuroses, however, The Submarines also provide us with lighter love ballads, such as “Swimming Pool”, a track that perfectly conveys happiness—without the worry—upon the first exchange of “I Love You’s” with your soul mate. “When you kiss me in ways I’ve forgotten/Love is a swimming pool with no bottom.” Who cannot relate to an otherwise suburban metaphor? Sung with the help of The Submarines’ usual chimes and claps, we merrily accompany Hazard and Dragonetti’s romantic summer interlude.

All in all, Honeysuckle Weeks is more than just a well-crafted album. It’s the lyrical and melodic retelling of young romance, the rekindling of pleasant memories with just a tinge of sadness to keep the listeners in check. Their new release is the kind of album that will have you pining for love whilst set on repeat in the car stereo.

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http://www.thesubmarines.com/