Pirate Ships is the second album release from singer songwriter Shelby Mason. Her debut was released last autumn, and this follow up sees her taking on production duties herself, as well as arrangement, recording and mixing. The result is a deeply personal collection that shows all Shelby has to offer the world.

By Graeme Smith

Set in her late 20s, Pirate Ships explores the blending of childhood and adulthood at that stage of life. Her sentiments are brought vividly to life through imagery, starting with the crashing ocean waves in the introduction of opening track 001. The album moves into its title track, rich with plucked acoustic guitar and echoing reverb, it’s a track that envelopes you while storytelling lyrics take you away into a world of naïve nostalgia.

I Wish You Would brims with a folksy energy and speaks of a relationship that fizzles out for no particular reason. It’s heartbreakingly relatable. Pavement hits hard, taking on the weighty topic of suicidal thoughts, and how they are often dressed up as jokes. Trouble introduces a more complex arrangement with percussion and harmonica creating a bluesy atmosphere in which its dingy story takes place. Pirouettes perfectly captures the album’s theme of growing up. It’s a highlight.

The last leg of the album gives us acoustic, demo and live versions that ramp up the sense of intimacy. Don’t Worry Darling is a delicate lullaby while A Good One is breathtakingly ambient. We get a live rendition of Trouble before a bonus cover of Ethel Cain’s American Teenager provides an anthemic yet melancholic coda.

There’s power in honesty and this collection from Shelby Mason is proof. The confessional nature of her lyrics makes them utterly captivating and they are so beautifully sung. A raw intimacy runs right through its ten tracks, and Shelby’s way with words really sets her apart. Pirate Ships is, put simply, a stunning album. You can give it a listen below.