Sunday 25 April 2021

The Boatsmen - When I'm Drunk

 


  I remember, many moons ago, watching Norwegian rock gods Turbonegro going down a storm in a market hall in Morecambe in front of an appreciative crowd of sweaty punks. They were a band that rocked hard and partied even harder with their music appealing to a wide audience. Hailing from Örebro, Sweden, The Boatsmen (https://www.facebook.com/theboatsmen) are very much a similar proposition. 

  Featuring a line up of Håkan Ficks, Martin Ficks, Jacob Martinsson & Johan Söderberg they've just released their 4th studio album. Boasting a sound which they describe as "Ramones, MC5 and The Beach Boys in an exciting drunken fisticuff" they're one of a number of bands that are mixing and matching the best elements of rock n roll, punk and garage rock and somehow, all of these bands are managing to put out killer releases. The new album is titled Versus The Boatsmen and it's the perfect soundtrack to get fucked up to. 



  Listening to the album you wonder why pretty much every popular radio station in 2021 plays only insipid, over produced pap. It's all anodyne and coma inducing. The kids need introducing to proper music. Life affirming, feel good rock n roll played with passion by people with fire coursing through their veins. Versus The Boatsmen is a thrill ride and is essential listening. It's out now on Ghost Highway Recordings (Europe) and Spaghetty Town Records (USA). You can listen here :  https://theboatsmen.bandcamp.com/album/versus-the-boatsmen-2 

  Highlights are plenty so I was spoilt for choice for a song to feature below. Really impressed with Friday Night Forever which is like a lost Black Flag classic whilst Big Waves has an impressively melodic chorus to counterpoint some hard riffing. I'm going with one that they released a cool video for, this is When I'm Drunk... 

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