Glass Top Ships

Description

Glass Top Ships is the full-length debut album by the American alternative rock band Jacobstone, released on Rhythm House Records in 1999. Licensed to True Tunes Records/Rhythm House Records in 2000, distributed by Diamante. (The band also self-released a self-titled 3-track cassette in 1995, produced by Matt Spransy.) The album was produced by Matt Spransy of Servant fame for Spasm Tyrant Production.

There are so many things about this album that are cool. Firstly, it’s really hard to define what style of rock these guys play. Imagine U2, Over The Rhine and Smashing Pumpkins colliding and you’d be in the right ballpark, but it’s so much more than (that Jacobstone is not a specifically Christian band, as their songs hit on a variety of themes, but spiritual issues do pop up here and there). Matt Spransy, who used to be in pioneering Christian rock band Servant, produced the CD and two of his children are band members. I absolutely love this album, and from the moment I heard the driving guitar soaked opener «Intropsalm» with its haunting refrain of “We don’t know, we don’t know”, I was hooked. Other highlights include the funky rock attack of «Redemption» which speeds along at breathtaking pace and the anthemic «Crackerstorm». I like the way the band balance those rockier elements with the more melodic haunting «The Wreck Of The Cast Iron Lady» with its strings and the emotional bluesy feel of «Julie». If you like music to think to, this will be your bag, pop it in the CD player, grab the tastefully designed CD booklet and pore over the lyrics. You read it here first, Jacobstone are going to be huge! [Mike Rimmer, Cross Rhythms, August 2000]

This is a very intelligently crafted piece of art. From the booklet layout, to the production values, there’s little to indicate that this is an independent artist, recently rereleased through TrueTunes. However, the music itself defies easy classification. A little folk, a little dance-pop, a little alternative rock… there are many flavors of music here. It could have easily not worked, but like other genre-defying bands such as Havalina Rail Co, Five O’Clock People, and Scaterd Few, it’s the strength of the musical ability that keeps it focused and coherent.

Some of the standout tracks include the opening track, «Intropsalm» with its “We don’t know” refrain ultimately being overcome by the refrain “I see dreams and they make me dream easy,” the last track, «The Wreck of the Cast Iron Lady», and «Crackerstorm».

As is evident, even the song titles are out-of-the ordinary. This is a unique band, which is proving itself to be capable of much; it’ll be neat to see how their next album turns out. [Alex Klages, The Phantom Tollbooth, 03/27/2000]

Wisconsin’s Jacobstone offers up twelve slickly crafted, if not particularly gripping, songs on their independent release Glass Top Ships. Their sound is difficult to pin down to a few adjectives, running the gambit from alt-pop to acoustic to 80’s synth-pop to jazz, all with the skill of seasoned vets. They’re at their best when they slow it down, specifically on lush ballads like «Angry Wing», «Bitter», and the bizarre and beautiful country-80’s-pop-hybrid, «Crackerstorm».

The vocals are the real draw here. In a group effort, led by frontman A.J. Fink, these vocals are textured and solid in their execution, and they hook the listener when the music can’t. The fact that they support sound, heartfelt lyrics make them all the better, like these from «Shuffleboard»:

Listen, God’s voice is still there
His hand still hasn’t moved
You know God’s strength has no weaknesses
That’s you trying to fill His shoes

Jacobstone are true professionals with a wealth of potential, and this record is evidence of that. The arrangements (particularly the percussion) are elegant and varying, providing depth and substance to songs that sometimes feel unrealized. Although Glass Top Ships doesn’t immediately scream for a second listen, it will grow on you like a fungus once you give it a chance. [Scotty Teems, The Phantom Tollbooth, 04/17/2000]

> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/glass-top-ships/1498440405)

CD tracklist:

01. Intropsalm – 5:18
02. Redemption – 3:50
03. Angry Wing – 3:53
04. Wave Goodbye – 1:24
05. Crackerstorm – 4:11
06. Bitter – 3:54
07. Julie (Come and Rescue Me) – 5:28
08. 71 Cents – 5:16
09. Youngblood – 3:11
10. Shuffleboard – 4:23
11. Redemption (Reprise) – 3:39
12. The Wreck of The Cast Iron Lady – 6:24

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