High Water Marks/Ulysses

High Water Marks
Songs About The Ocean

Ulysses
010
eenie meenie records

Okay, I know: There have been several reviews placing these two albums together. Well, DUH!!! Look at the history and you'll understand that these two albums, while separate entities are entwined in many ways. Most important is the connection between the main cogs that turn these wheels: Hilarie Sidney and Robert Schneider, main ingrdients in Apples In Stereo. But the comparisons do not end there. High Water Marks and Ulysses have delivered albums that benefit and suffer from the similar formulas.

HWMs Songs About the Ocean is an album that should have been much better than what is presented. The band seems to spend too much time trying to figure out whether they fall under the punk umbrella, pop or somewhere in between. The production also suffers. Vocals often become indistinguishable and guitars are muffled.

On the positive side, the songwriting is top notch. HWM have put together intelligent songs that are unfortunately buried under bad production. Hilarie Sidney is a better than average singer and there are times I wished she had put vocals to more, if not all, of the tracks.

Ulysses is another story. Robert Schneider went to the complete opposite end of the spectrum with this album. The songs on .010 are bare bones. Stripped like layers on a floor that reveal a gorgeous undercovering. The sound is straightforward without any punches. It's like boiling water - easy and you know what you're going to end up with - boiling water, silly!

The sole downside to this album is the production. .010 was recorded in a garage at Pet Sounds Studios and there are occasions when you can tell. Fortunately, it really doesn't take away from the enjoyment of this album.

While there is good songwriting associated with both discs, they are difficult to listen to in one sitting. HWM is especially difficult with its sound, but Schneider does tend to get redundant as the CD moves along. Both are worth the purchase, but do so with caution.

On TGB rating scale, Ulysses checks in on Earth and High Water Marks registers on Mars.