Maritime Heresy and the Hotel Choir

Third time’s a charmer for the Milwaukee-based quartet Maritime with Heresy and the Hotel Choir, where indie pop vet Davey von Bohlen has finally decided to come out from under his tattered ball cap and have some fun once again. It’s almost as dramatic a turn as say, following up the sickly sweet fun of Very Emergency with the decidedly drab Wood/Water, an emphatic turn-of-the-century declaration that von Bohlen’s Promise Ring outfit were pulling the plug on their effervescent brand of indie pogopop.

Von Bohlen and fellow ex-Promise Ringer Dan Didier (drums) formed Maritime and the initial results didn’t exactly serve as jovial pronouncements of a new band. Glass Floor (2004) further alienated the fun with sleepy stuff somewhere between Belle and Sebastian and latter-day Death Cab. The sophomore release We, The Vehicles (2006) at least had its share of more upbeat moments (Tearing up the Oxygen, Parade of Punk Rock T-Shirts), but von Bohlen and his Maritime mates have found their sea legs with Heresy and the Hotel Choir, an endearing and infectious rock record, and easily one of the more undervalued albums of 2007.

The lead single Guns of Navarone opens the album and sets the course for a decidedly different approach this time around, and while the hook is corny (“sticks and stones might break my skin and bones”- oh Davey) the jangly garage jam will smack a smile onto your mug. Didier’s rumbling drum kit kicks off the standout track For Science Fiction, with von Bohlen belting out another uber-catchy chorus. Aren’t We All Found Out and Are We Renegade both benefit from von Bohlen’s casual cooing, while the pretty Pearl and Hours That You Keep both serve as a great centerpiece for the album, the latter a rollicking 2 ½-minute gem with big, ringing chords and a tight, stop-and-pop rhythm section. This is Maritime at its best, and prime examples of alt-FM-friendly tunes complete with arena-ready hooks, most recently on display during a recent opening slot on Jimmy Eat World’s U.S. west coast swing.

There are a few mishaps however, with Hand Over Hannover resembling an uninspired b-side from The Strokes, while the hook does nothing more than expose von Bohlen’s noted lack of range; First Night on Earth is a sparse snoozer, and With Holes for Thumbs Sized Birds sounds out of place and temporarily slows the party down when wedged between opener Guns of Navarone and For Science Fiction.

Heresy and the Hotel Choir offers more than just biding time until the next Death Cab for Cutie record. Folks also mention Jets to Brazil and of course vintage Promise Ring, but this album is full of three-minute gems that aim to please, and should serve as a proper, amiable introduction to Maritime, far from just another “-ex members of (______)” outfit.