If love is a detour, then show me the orange signs, traffic barrels, and arrows, because this track undoubtedly gets us to the destination! Brooklyn-based quintet Ceylon Sailor drop their new single ‘love is a detour’ (lowercase titles on purpose for all their songs), showcasing their upbeat, fuzzed-out acoustic guitar-driven, trumpet-laced, frenetic indie rock.
Someone once told me, ‘If it’s from Brooklyn, it must be good stuff.’ Well, frankly, that’s a bunch of bull, as there’s a lot of mediocre and half-cooked pseudo-artistic schlop coming from that borough, just like anywhere else. However, Ceylon Sailor is indeed the real deal. Tight songwriting and execution, consistency from song to song, well-placed instrumentation, and general feel-goodness while craftfully avoiding being twee. According to the band, ‘love is a detour’ explores ‘the tragedy and hope of connecting at a time in your life when neither person can stand still.’ That in mind, ‘And we plant the seed and hope for something’ is the one that really stands out in this track.
In a world full of 4/4 and basses that plunk on the beat, may Varuna and Manimekhala give us brass! It’s the trumpet and trombone at 1m12s (and their subsequent appearances) that make this song triumphant. For my money, these horns are the identifying feature of Ceylon Sailor’s sound and that which elevates them above your average indie band. And the horns are no gimmick; they mix irreproachably with the distorted acoustic and snare drum. You can hear the Neutral Milk Hotel influence, but Ceylon Sailor are certainly today’s indie horn standard-bearers. Oh, and before I forget, make sure to crank the volume for the first 3 seconds to hear some ridiculously delicious feedback fuzz. Pure addictive ear candy.
Written by Greg Gobel
