Artist: Tom Williams And The Boat
Release: Teenage Blood
Tunbridge Wells believe it or not has an amazing music scene, centered around the great ex-public toilet venue (still has that smell) The Forum. One of the bands to emerge from this scene is Tom Williams and The Boat. Now on their 2nd album the band are now playing festivals (Glastonbury and Radio 1’s Big Weekend in the past) as well as being darlings of Radio 1‘s introducing team along with the 6music team, recording sessions for Steve Lamacq and Cerys Matthews among others.
‘Teenage Blood’ starts great with it’s title track with it’s shaking folk/rock vibe reminiscant of Frank Turner. Almost a strange alogrythm of pub rock meets folk rock the albums opening track impresses with lovely string augmentation from their violin player. Although the piano does feel a bit grating on the track if i’m to be 100% honest.
‘Too Young’ has amazing guitar dripping like raindrops in harmony with the trickle of piano. Everything is just so lush on this track, You can almost imagine a countryside BBQ with this track, laying with your other half sharing a bottle of cider in the sun.
I’m afraid ‘Little Bit In Me’ makes me want to run to the skip button, after a lovely and lush opening salvo this feels like an anti-climax, like the moment you turn 18 and then realise all the things that used to be a bit naughty are now acceptable.To be frank the bands momentum halts too much as they do the slower songs.
At times across this album I end up more impressed with the guitar work than the actual songs, and that’s not so as to slate the songs, which are lovely melodic pieces, but the guitars are so tender and tell the mood immediatly. While not showboating, the 6 string work is reminiscent of ex Suede guitarist Bernard Butler on his first solo album ‘People Move On’. Expressive and moody. Elevating the songs into gorgeous climaxes.
Much of the album fails to match the opening salvo and the forth track ‘Trouble With The Truth’, the rest of the songs are lovely enough but just nothing special. You kind of get the sense that the album is under produced. The songs feel a bit too muddy at times to the point where often there’s a tad too much going on at once. Maybe with the right producer and a bit more budget this album would have been what it at times try’s to promise to you it can be, a glorious dripping epic of harmonious but moody folk rock.
