Description
Here We Go Magic – A Different Ship – Blue Vinyl Record
Secretly 25th Anniversary Exclusive
Dreamy Indie Rock with a Krautrock Pulse
Released in May 2012 on Secretly Canadian, A Different Ship is the third studio album by Brooklyn-based indie band Here We Go Magic. Fronted by singer-songwriter Luke Temple, the group had already gained critical praise for their hypnotic blend of folk, pop, and experimental textures. With A Different Ship, they refined their sound into something more focused and immersive: a record that balances dreamy atmospheres with motorik rhythms, meditative grooves, and subtly intricate arrangements. Produced by Nigel Godrich—best known for his work with Radiohead and Beck—the album brought Here We Go Magic’s expansive ideas into sharper clarity, without losing the organic flow that made their earlier releases so distinctive.
A Different Ship sits at the crossroads of indie rock, krautrock, and art pop. The band leans into repetition and texture, allowing songs to build gradually through layers of guitar, synth, and rhythm, often recalling the hypnotic drive of Can or Neu! while maintaining the warmth of American indie rock. Godrich’s production emphasizes space and restraint: instruments weave around each other instead of crowding the mix, giving the record a patient, transportive quality.
The album opens with “Hard to Be Close”, a shimmering track that builds tension through pulsing bass and airy vocals, perfectly setting the tone for what follows. “Make Up Your Mind” is one of the standout singles—urgent, groove-heavy, and tightly wound, with an almost paranoid energy that showcases the band’s rhythmic precision. On the opposite end of the spectrum, “How Do I Know” is breezier and more playful, a bittersweet indie-pop song that became one of the band’s most accessible moments.
Elsewhere, tracks like “Alone But Moving” and “I Believe in Action” highlight the group’s krautrock influences, driven by steady beats and hypnotic layering. The closing title track, “A Different Ship”, drifts into ambient territory, ending the album on a spacious, contemplative note that leaves the listener suspended somewhere between dream and reality.
Luke Temple often writes in a fragmented, impressionistic style, letting imagery and emotion take precedence over straightforward narrative. The songs on A Different Ship explore themes of distance, longing, and uncertainty, but always through subtle suggestion rather than overt declaration. This lyrical vagueness pairs beautifully with the music’s atmosphere, inviting the listener to project their own meaning into the spaces Temple leaves open.
Critics widely praised A Different Ship upon release. Outlets like Pitchfork and The Guardian highlighted the record’s cohesion, calling it the band’s most complete and confident statement to date. Godrich’s production was frequently singled out as a perfect fit, giving the band’s expansive tendencies just enough structure without dulling their creativity. While some early fans missed the more lo-fi textures of the band’s debut, many considered A Different Ship a high point in their discography, one that captured the band at the height of their artistry.
In the larger landscape of 2010s indie rock, the album stands as a hidden gem—a record that didn’t necessarily break into the mainstream, but earned deep admiration among fans of atmospheric, rhythmically driven indie music. Its fusion of krautrock grooves, dream-pop textures, and Godrich’s spacious production makes it resonate with listeners who enjoy the hypnotic side of Radiohead, the repetition of Talking Heads, or the layered beauty of Grizzly Bear and Beach House.
A Different Ship shows how Here We Go Magic could distill their eclectic influences into a record that feels both timeless and deeply of its moment. It’s an album best experienced in full, a hypnotic journey that rewards close listening while still offering immediate pleasures through its hooks and grooves.
Brand new, never played and still sealed in the factory plastic
Track Listing
Into
Hard To Be Close
Make Up Your Mind
Alone But Moving
I Believe In Action
Over The Ocean
Made To Be Old
How Do I Know
Miracle Of Mary
A Different Ship
