Hovercraft Pirates

“Always Calm” by the adrenaline-infused punk rockers dubbed Hovercraft Pirates is anything but calm! This head-bobbing, jump-up-and-down CD is filled with amazing energy and thrills! Powerful overdriven guitars and groovy drum hooks create an atmosphere of excitement that will make listeners beg for a live show! Vocally, the Hovercraft Pirates are phenomenal – heavy emotion, high energy, power, and a perfect rocker tone make these songs purely addictive! “Captain Avery” is a perfect example of this rare energy and infectious vocals, uniquely telling its story with fast, clever rhymes and a tone likened to talking or whispering. Ironically enough, “Always Calm” employs skillful lyrics that are fun and dynamic, nicely complimenting their over-the-top sound! Clean, powerful production successfully allows these great tunes to take on a life of their own! Followers of Panic at the Disco, The Killers, and MXPX will not be able to sit still to this soundtrack!

- Xavier P. for RadioIndy

Loud and a bit angry. And much the same can be said of their music! There is more than a passing nod to bands such as The Undertones and The Pogues, and even the Ramones and early Green Day in there. The Hovercraft Pirates eschew excessive chord changes in favour of keeping the music loud and hard driving and, with twelve songs in just over 36 minutes, they seem to believe that pausing for breath is for wimps.

Best of the bunch is the opening track, "Rica". This perfectly captures the passion and anger of the early pioneering new wave bands of the 70's while bringing the sound bang up to date. In the hands of U2 this song would undoubtedly be a hit. However whether it would retain the freshness this band imparts to it is debatable. Of the others, "Rock*" and "Always Free" standout. The former is in a similar vein to "Rica" except with a bit of funkier edge to it whereas "Always Free" has a hint of traditional Celtic music too - just think of Kirsty McColl, The Pogues and Runrig getting together at the pub and having a good old sing-song.

Perhaps not music for a quiet relaxing evening in, however there is always a place for bands playing music loud and fast. And the Hovercraft Pirates have been found guilty on both counts.

- Blues Bunny

Hovercraft Pirates - When Our Wake Hits Your Shore
Reviewed by Meghan Player

With cameo appearances from rock legends Rick Wakeman and Alice Cooper, as well as having a wicked band name, expectations for Hovercraft Pirates album were already reasonably high.

Beginning with a crackled, atmospheric opening, the sound kicks into overdrive - allowing a savage sea of vocal and musical melody to break the haunting opening.

Familiarity is key with this bands sound and progression throughout the album. Tracks effortlessly craft a melodic, yet mature sound - that breathes influence of rock and roll history in every note.

While some similar riffs throughout the album can sound like anyone from Unwritten Law to The Matches - the moments are fleeting and far between, leaving the band to seemingly move into their own sound. Raw and hard-rocking.

Tracks such as ‘Strangest Creatures’ and album finale, ‘Addictions’ provide perfect examples of the bands unabashed, unabridged, unrelenting talent - while ‘Til The Turnpiece Melts’ conjures up images of packed mosh pit floors being torn apart messily.

‘Alma Perdida’ is most definitely the high point of the album. Rhythmic drum beats are swallowed whole by appealing sound techniques that cover almost every base of a good, solid rock song.

The final guitar solo is one to be envied, creating a dramatic, dark and melodic sound that pulsates through your speakers - this is without doubt, a band that shouldn’t be taken lightly.

‘When Our Wake Hits Your Shores’ has definitely lived up to first expectations - creating a loud rock album that isn’t afraid to roll with the punches. - pushtofire.com

The mental image of an actual hovercraft pirate may be endlessly amusing (picture it – go on!) but the sexy, sleazy sophomore effort from this bunch of Irish rockers is a far less chucklesome picture. This is beefy, loud, testosterone-fuelled rock ‘n’ roll that spits from a set of speakers like venomous, unapologetic soundwaves. ‘Shut The Hell Up’ and ‘Pressure’ are bursting with pounding riffs and poisonous vocals, but beneath all that anger there’s still enough melody to appease the thinner-skinned listener. Just. Off to start a bar fight and generally get rowdy tonight? This will get you pumped up. - Rocksound