Having them ("them" being the label and promoters) try and pass "Loose Lips Sink Ships" off as a full length is like going to the deli and weighing the two pound potato salad container, only to find its 1.87lbs. Des Ark's new CD plays more like a good, healthy EP. Yet I'll bet with the company pronouncing this a full length album there could very well be a difference at the cash register.
Des Ark is rock meets country-without the bother of feeling like you are listening to a country album. Indeed, this is indie rock at its sexiest, propelled by Aimee Argote's amazing and luring voice. She can croon and shout and make you believe every word she utters. It is best when she seems on the brink of breaking into a raging rant with just the music keeping her in check. This is best displayed on "No More Fighting Cats, Ok?" when she sneers, "He does it every night and the women find a way to make it all seem all right." Her disgust comes through loud and clear, without distracting from the music.
The songs seem more complex than they really are. They are fairly straightforward, yet executed with skill and fervor that they don't get boring or tedious. This album is a must, despite its short play-time, for fans of bands like The New Pornographers or a rockier, emo-less Pedro the Lion.
3/4
