‘Ages’ by Ships Have Sailed

For some, the adage “the ship has sailed” might indicate an admission of failure, that an opportunity has passed you by. It’s the precise opposite, though, for the band which has taken that adage as their name. Ships Have Sailed, the brainchild of artist Will Carpenter, uses it as a basis for challenging, bold optimism about the unpredictability of life and the knowledge that the bad things in life are balanced by the good.

He’s taken that ethos into a prolific recording career for the project, which has refined itself over time into an outlet for cathartic and cinematic indie rock tunes which vary in sound but all circle around that overriding optimism. It’s led to an impressive streak of success, including features on top radio stations and hit TV shows.

The Ships Have Sailed journey continues on their latest album, entitled ‘Ages’. It’s as expansive as the title suggests, taking timelessness as its mission statement as it traverses different genres and moods to survey the wild breadth of the human experience. It’s an album unafraid to leave that familiar optimism aside for a more sombre and contemplative feel, like on “Breathe”, even as it often returns to the rousing arena rock stylings on which the band has made their name: a result of Carpenter’s recent self-revelations during the pandemic regarding the fragility of life and the need to appreciate it.

On the album, Carpenter says, “Lyrically and sonically, Ages represents a life arc,” says Carpenter. “It addresses an exploration of our humanity, our egos, and our instincts.It’s about how we change over time and are shaped by particular journeys and experiences because while I was shaping this album, my life was also shaping me.”