Oh Captain My Captain: Recklessly She Split the Sea

The phrase “Oh Captain My Captain” has been made famous twice, originally by Walt Whitman and then over 100 years later by the slightly lesser poet Robin Williams. Adopting the quote for their band name, could a young Portland Oregon quartet make the third time the proverbial charm? Eh.

Recklessly Split the Sea is fine effort to be sure, squeezing proggy, ‘70s chooglin’ rock into compact and melodic frames. Singer Jesse Bettis has nice timbre and range, sounding a bit like Chris what’s-his-name from Coldplay when he swoops up into a falsetto, an effective move on songs like the highlight “Don’t Be a Hero”. The rest of the band crunches and stomps well through the pauses and shifting dynamics of “Prize Fighter” and “This Ship’s Gonna Sink”, but ultimately there’s not enough that stands out beyond solid workmanship; there’s just not enough poetry.