the great pumpkin

A couple weeks ago I got a copy of BOAT’s new album Setting the Paces. It’s not unlike me to get obsessive over an album, but it has been damn hard to get Setting the Paces out of my headphones (literally at least once a day since I got it).

BOAT make up beat indie pop with catchy hooks, and lyrics that are borderline twee (and as you probably know I have no problem with this) that latched on to my brain. When some bad things started happening around me lat week I was really glad to have BOAT to help pull me out of the sadness.

Setting the Paces is BOAT’s 3rd LP, but the first that I am hearing…and if it is any indication of their other work there is a strong chance I might end up with all of them.

BOAT was one of those bands that didn’t initially sink in, and “Name Tossing” was the first track that I heard (and this was long before I heard the whole album).  It ended up on a mix I made out of  tracks I downloaded.  At first I was indifferent, then I kept going back to it, and then I played it on repeat…it was a slow but gradual progression to obsession.  At that point I snagged a couple more tracks from The Finest Kiss and Soundbites, two blogs that have been championing BOAT for quite a while.

There is something intensely personal about BOAT.  Their songs aren’t just songs…they are stories about friends, family, life, and fantasy.  BOAT is a band that indie pop fans will probably fall in love with, and if the musicians are anything like their music…people you would want to be friends with as well.  When a band writes a description of their own music…I am typically skeptical…but I think BOAT’s is true to form:

Reptile boy vocals being sung in the same room with many guitars, a bass, two drumsets, a Wurlitzer, several keyboards, mediocre talent, fragile egos, some soft tacos, a piece of pizza, and several Diet Cokes. (via)

Besides the diet cokes, this sounds pretty much amazing…and Setting the Paces is the product of this.  And from this description you  can only expect lyrics about eating nachos, hanging out with the family, friends of past and present, and stories of sadness and success.  You will probably find yourself singing along with lines like “I knew you when your mini van was up on cinder blocks” (from “Reverie”) or “I was eating nachos, sitting with my mother, talking bout nothing, talking about growing….up in New Jersey, a state without a hero…who could be our hero?  Drive into the City!”  (from “Lately”).   It’s very seldom that a band can write lyrics like this, and not sound cheesy…but rather completely honest and sincere, and from what I can tell…BOAT does this better than anyone.

[mp3] BOAT- “Price of Tacoma”

[mp3] BOAT- “Lately”

both are from Setting the Paces…if you like these you are sure to love the whole album.

Buy Setting the Paces here!

then…..

Go see BOAT play live, on what I think is a very rare East Coast tour:

“we could be the touring band and eat take out food every night of the week, but I’m not all that interested in that” (from “Jeff Fell Dream #48″)

• 11/11/09-  Boston, Massachusetts @ PA’s Lounge
• 11/12/09-  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania @ Pilam (all ages!)
• 11/13/09- Brooklyn, New York @ Union Hall
• 11/14/09- Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY @ Bruar Falls

If you can make it to any of these shows I’m pretty sure that it is guaranteed to be an energetic fun filled night.  I don’t know about you, but I think I can use one of those. Setting the Paces appears to be BOAT’s first album to be put out on LP, and I can’t wait to pick one up on Saturday at Bruar Falls.  BOAT claims that their line up for this East Coast tour knows 23 BOAT songs, and all will be played…I predict good things to come of this.

Links:

• Boat’s Website
• Magic Market Records
• more this week in mail order.

Tags: BOAT, Bruar Falls, Magic Marker Records, Setting the Paces, Union Hall