“Sailed the straights alone my ship and me”

I’m a complete sucker for songs that evoke the sea or the coast and that’s exactly what I love about today’s song pick: Mariner from US pomp rockers Angel. Taken from their S/T 1975 debut, it’s not the wateriest song in terms of guitar effects and there are no atmospheric waves and seagull sounds. But the music and performance takes you on a wistful, dreamy journey that reminds me a lot of another seafaring classic, Procul Harum’s Salty Dog. Vocalist Frank DiMino is in particularly fine form, delivering the soaring and gentle tune like he’s got a faraway look in his eyes. But the best bit is an incongruous burst of piano that sounds like it’s straight out of the Rocky soundtrack. I guess you can take Angel out of the city, but you can’t take the city out of Angel.