We, the Vehicles

We, the Vehicles, the second album from the collective of Davey von Bohlen, Dan Didier [both formerly of The Promise Ring] and Eric Axelson [formerly of The Dismemberment Plan], is a triumphant realization of the unlabored goal of Maritime and an occasional turn toward the darker, denser corners of years past. That's right: We, the Vehicles isn't all sunshine and bubbles. The band remains solidly tethered to pop perfection, but has taken space to let that pop cycle through all its permutations. Maritime may have a collective history to both cling to and run from, but with We, the Vehicles, the band steps forcefully into its own. More than a side project or an "ex-members of," it proves beyond a doubt that this is something viable and vital on its own.