I like minotaurs, but I don't like shocks. Everyone likes surprises. But shocks mean something bad usually don't they? Whereas minotaurs seem like fun on the page at least. But then I wouldn't be too pleased if I had one roaming my neighbourhood. It might be quite cool I guess, at first. Something to mention to curious visitors. Until you got gored by one on your way back from the pub. So it's a good job they aren't real. Although it would give rise to a special police squad called the Minotaur Squad - you'd see them cruising the streets slowly at night with a big net-gun thing on the back of the car, and a spotlight searching front gardens and hedgerows for the glint of those mad red eyes and razor sharp horns. You would see them (ahem) especially by the DOCKS*.

'Maritime' is an anodyne, soporific marine tour around the bay of perky folktronica (sorry to say 'folktronica', I know people don't like it, but I love new made-up genres, so there). Synth laps up against the hull, and the salt on your lips tastes like accordion. Now and then there are some choppy drums, but the majority of the time it's a plain sailing. The waters aren't so smooth that you feel as though the good ship Maritime is ploughing it's way through sickly Lemon Jelly - there's a goodly amount of tacking and weaving going on in the song structures and timing changes, more than enough to keep the listener on their toes.

All in all, it's a nice day out, but it's not something you'd want to do all the time. It drags a little, it meanders a touch too often, and you are left wondering if there is anyone at the helm at all. While it's pleasing enough in terms of textures and style, 'Maritime' can feel a touch directionless at times. Adrift! Lost at sea! And being lost at sea is not good.

Which is one reason why, I guess, most people don't live on boats.

(*Check out that link! Smooth as silk, don't you think?)