The Liberty Ship - I Guess You Didn't See Her

matinée 036  /  June 2002
The Liberty Ship - I Guess You Didn't See Her
7"   $5.00

digital   $2.00


The Liberty Ship - I Guess You Didn't See Her

matinée 036  /  June 2002

Impressive debut single by a band from Nottingham, England coupling the catchy "I Guess You Didn't See Her" with a glorious cover of the Byrds classic "She Don't Care About Time." The band turned a lot of heads when they played a Matinée night in London last year, and will surely win over new fans with this debut release. Think East Village or Weather Prophets with a larger than customary dose of 60's jangle à la Byrds or Buffalo Springfield and you're nearly there. Lead vocalist and guitarist Marc Elston used to be one-half of pop combo Bulldozer Crash, who released a clutch of excellent releases on Sunday and Heaven Records back in the day. He is joined in the Liberty Ship by comrades Tim and Rachel to produce a beautiful commotion with chiming guitars and lovely female harmonies. Limited to 1000 copies.

Tracklisting:
  1. I Guess You Didn't See Her
  2. She Don't Care About Time

reviews

Debut 7" from this new band from Nottingham, England, led by Marc from the late, great Bulldozer Crash. These two songs are full of jangly guitars that sparkle and shimmer and great boy/girl vocal harmonies. Both songs have a distinct country influence, similar to later Weather Prophets, the Beachwood Sparks and the Byrds. Not surprisingly, the flipside is an excellent cover of the Byrds' "She Don't Care About Time". Two wonderful songs from a band that I'd like to hear more from!   --IndiePages
 
Took us a bit to get the old record player unpacked, but once this little record was played, we regretted the delay! The Liberty Ship make 60s-tinged pop, and we can't argue with that! The A-side, "I Guess You Didn't See Her," is literate rock, ala The Go-Betweens. The flip is an excellent cover of Gene Clark's "She Don't Care About Time," and both have a nice, literate sound that is missing these days. Now where's that full-length, guys? Single of the Week.   --Mundane Sounds
 
Judging by the cover, these guys hold their guitars high and, judging by the cover version, their ambitions higher. You play The Byrds you take care, they say, for you tread upon people’s dreams. Many a butchery is performed with good intentions. But I give them the benefit of doubt cos I had forgotten, or it had slipped my mind, just what a great song is ‘She Don’t Care About Time.’ Ah, yeah, it’s a lovely tune to cover but with a Bach-inspired middle-eight that would strike fear into the hearts of lesser souls. They glide thru trouble free, though obviously without that glorious Byrdsian abrasiveness: anyone can chime and jangle but the Byrds had an innate ability to exude softness in strength, strength in softness, and still sound so natural. Who could recapture that sound, that style, that moment in time. (He sighs. For a fraction of a second he wishes he was there... But no.) By the way, the A-side is called ‘I Guess You Didn’t See Her.’ It’s good.   --Wide Open Road
 
The Liberty Ship deliver a pleasant Hurrah! / East Village homage with 'I Guess You Didn't See Her' (the sleeve too seems to be a clear blend of Hurrah!s 'Who'd Have Thought' and East Village's 'Back Between Places' but then I'm probably reading too much into it) and then in another display of impeccable taste, manage a very fine cover of Gene Clark's classic 'She Don't Care About Time'. This version is more in step with the Byrds' rendition (or indeed The Cryan Shames' or McCarthy's) than the slower, more countrified version that Clark served up on his wonderful Roadmaster album, and that's just fine of course.   --Tangents
 
From Nottingham no less, The Liberty Ship make the sort of gently strummed, gliding pop that delights these ears. Reminds me a little of Lloyd Cole, but I’m probably wrong, these boys and girls are far to clever for twee yet cute enough to make ‘I Guess You Didn’t See Her’ one of the essential purchases of your pop-drenched summer.   --Tasty
 
The group's sound is remarkably relaxed to be writing songs about anguish and confusion; with sweet harmonizing and melodic guitar lines that for some reason evoke holidays and summer vacations, The Liberty Ship have a pleasurable pop sound.   --Erasing Clouds
 
the liberty ship's much anticipated début on the same label, meanwhile, is a natural and endearing pop folk song - daring to travel at medium pace so as not to sacrifice the melody. we've now established that the liberty ship suit both the bleak chill of january and the heady flavour of summer - rich and laid-back, this is pop for all seasons. And armed with the knowledge that marc elston has been recently extolling the virtues of gems like the rain parade, east village and the railway children, it all seems tremendously natural.   --In Love With These Times In Spite Of These Times
 
One original, and one Byrds cover. Both tunes are excellent unvarnished folk-rock, and the Gene Clark penned "She Don't Care About Time" rivals the original, which is saying something.   --Shredding Paper