Leicester based artist Weikie, a.k.a Adam Weikert, released his album Raise Our Sunken Ship on May the 7th 2012. The date, not chosen by chance, coincides with the anniversary of the sinking of the Lusitania, an incident whose ghosts inspire the title track. A dark ruminative entrance that rides on a melancholic bed of acoustic layers and distant ghostly calls. He taps unflinchingly into the lost souls and their pleas which mark this as a potent opener:
Raise our sunken ship
this women’s with child
the father must know
it’s barely got got eyes
to wittness demise
and currents that flow
From his flat based above a Strip Club, Casino, and twenty four hour loading bay, Weikie conjured up tiny worlds over the last year proving pen is indeed mightier than the sword; from love lost (The One That Got Away) to lost wishes for a younger brother never to experience your same sorrows (Little Brother) the lyrics on this album are by no means joyous and hit you like the aftershock of a slap. ‘Halcyon‘, a tale of death in old age, is one of the most stark and revealing songs on this album and somehow the most beautiful for its honesty and vision.
…the kids they never seem to write
but I know they’re doing well
I know they’re doing wellbut forgot your name again today
I didn’t mean you harm
everything just starts to slip awayThere’s blood inside the bathroom sink
I prey to god it’s mine.The doctor says it’s operable
I guess that’s what you’d want
but you’re not hereCan’t get about the house these days
so they put me in a home
but it’s no home
without you near
Adam Weikert proves he is as at home with his pen as he is with his instruments: Guitar, Banjo, Percussion, Double Bass, Mandolin, Recorder, Piano and Musical Saw all feature on this album upon which he is more than adept.
A potent album that deserves wide recognition for its lyrical prose as well as the wonderful arrangements that envelop this beautiful album. A name to watch for!
For gig dates and more follow Adam on Facebook here: www.facebook.com/Weikiemon
Order the album from Bandcamp (Limited Edition)
photo credit: Amy Brammall