Boat - 50 Sweaty Boat Fans Can't Be Wrong LP (/200)

Boat - 50 Sweaty Boat Fans Can't Be Wrong LP (/200), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Hail The Sound (2013)

This was a bonus LP bundled with the first 200 pre-orders of the vinyl release of the Boat album Songs That You Might Not Like. It gathers some demos and rarities that the band recorded in 2004. After listening to the album a few times, it's pretty obvious why these recordings were shelved for so long. While the band shows flashes of brilliance, in general the songs are lacking the punch that Boat was able to harness on later recordings.

The thing that really stands out to me about these songs are the bands heavy reliance on keyboards sprinkled throughout their songs. While it adds to some, it kind of stamps certain songs definitely as rough demos. A lot of the album reminds me of some of the deeper cuts on mid era Pavement albums, where the band sounds a little tinny and the vocals are a bit distorted.

There's 15 songs on the album, so it is an enjoyable listen overall. But the LP also comes with a digital download containing even more tracks; 28 in total. It's a lot of Boat demos to get through in one sitting. I'm glad the band emptied the vault for this record, it was a great bonus to come along with the Songs That You Might Not Like LP, but I probably won't get as many listens out of this record as I will with the rest of the band's albums.

Boat - 50 Sweaty Boat Fans Can't Be Wrong:
hailthesoundrecords.bandcamp.com/album/50-sweaty-boat-fan...