Æther Shanties is the seventh studio album by the steampunk band Abney Park, released on December 1, 2009. It is subtitled Further Trials and Tribulations of Abney Park and is the band's second steampunk-themed album.
Background: According to an interview with frontman Robert Brown, the album was approximately 95% complete when a heatwave in Seattle destroyed the band's hard drive containing the recordings. This incident delayed the album's release by several months but also allowed the band to incorporate the vocals of new singer Jody Ellen, who had not been part of the original sessions.
Musical style: The album blends multiple genres, including industrial rock, electro swing, dark cabaret, and sea shanty influences, consistent with Abney Park's steampunk aesthetic.
Track listing:
- "Under the Radar" – 2:58
- "Building Steam" – 4:00
- "Until the Day You Die" – 2:46
- "My Life" – 3:05
- "Wanderlust" – 2:53
- "Throw Them Overboard" – 3:15
- "The Derelict" – 3:17
- "Victoria" – 4:43
- "Æther Shanty" – 2:48
- "The Clock Yard" – 3:26
- "Too Far to Turn Back" – 3:21
Personnel:
- Robert Brown – songs, vocals, darbuka, diatonic button accordion, harmonica, bouzouki
- Kristina Erickson – keyboards, piano
- Nathaniel Johnstone – guitar, violin, mandolin
- Daniel Cederman – bass, acoustic guitar
- Jody Ellen – secondary vocals
The title "Æther Shanties" is a portmanteau blending "aether" (a reference to the classical element or mystical substance often invoked in steampunk and Victorian-inspired fiction) with "shanties" (work songs traditionally sung by sailors), reflecting the album's nautical and airship-themed steampunk narrative.
