The Boat People - Dear Darkly

The Boat People
Dear Darkly


*** 1/2

Brisbane’s The Boat People have a lot in common with fellow indie-popsters Dappled Cities. Both groups have built dedicated local followings in their respective capitals, garnering critical acclaim for music that combines intelligent lyrics with poppy, upbeat tunes – while always just falling short of broader commercial success. With Dear Darkly, the Boaties seem to have arrived at a similar point to that reached last year by the Sydneysiders with Zounds, producing not only their most mature and ambitious statement to date, but also one with the most potential for wider recognition.


There’s a sense of self-possessed assurance at work here – especially with tracks like opener ‘Under The Ocean’ or ‘Live In The Dark’, which are buoyed along by effortlessly hummable melodies, and shimmeringly consonant textures. Lyrically the album conjures an all-too-familiar world of weekends spent with a slab of beer for company, and evenings of television and takeaway – reflecting relationship stagnation and malaise with lines like “you’re an antidote to an ugly world” (‘Antidote’) balancing the weariness of “things used to be terrific / now they’re barely anodyne” (‘Soporific’).

Songwriters Robin Waters and James O’Brien are confident enough to throw in the odd experiment, ensuring that things never get dull. But they don’t always hit the mark. First single ‘Echo Stick Guitars,’ for example, is as likely to piss off as many as it charms, its absurdly bouncy videogame-chant being a dalliance with electro that quickly wears thin. The compulsively danceable ‘Dance To My Pain’ or ‘Too Much In My Mind’ are more effective.

A laid back collection of thoughtful pop goodness that generally succeeds on its own terms.


First published in The Brag, Iss. 371, July 19th 2010