Nothing to Hate, Nothing to Love

On Valhalla Dancehall, England-based, indie rock band British Sea Power stay true to their style and sound, not straying away far from their previous four albums. But the 13 tracks still live up to the group’s standards and produce both pleasing ballads and instrumentals.

Brothers Yan Scott Wilkinson (vocals, guitar) and Neil Hamilton Wilkinson (vocals, guitar, bass) sing mostly slow-moving anthems, but with a few up-tempo gems such as “Observe the Skies” and their single “Living Is So Easy,” which are welcoming changes of pace for both Valhalla Dancehall and British Sea Power altogether.

“We Are Sound” is also upbeat and sounds like something from The Cure. The only difference is lyrical style, which is artsy and epic, not unlike their previous work:  “And I think that you were beautifully wounded just like Francis was at the end/And I think you, you’re only strangers and you’re trying to protect yourselves.”

“Once More Now” is the album’s longest track, clocking in at more than 11 minutes. The song starts to pick up and Yan comes in after a few minutes into the song: “When your dreams don’t come true/But your worries are over/Once more now.”

Valhalla Dancehall does not categorize British Sea Power into anything more than they’ve ever been, but it’s a fine-tuned version of the band that both new and old fans should enjoy.