Boy Set Sail - We're Almost There
Rating
RIYL
New Found GloryConditions
Four Year Strong
Transit
Release Date
09/16/2011
Label
I Am Mighty RecordsTracklist
01. Rewind02. Believe
03. You Are
04. All These Things
05. This Time Around
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I couldn’t think of a more appropriate name for Boy Set Sail’s debut EP than We’re Almost There. It’s so perfect, in fact, that I hardly think I need to write much more of this review than to say that the name describes the nature of the short effort’s content. 3 stars. The end. Review over.
...You’re still here? Shucks. Well, let me put it this way: brownie batter is a pretty delicious concoction, no? It’s basically a sugary, adhesive, chocolatey goo. It would make a fine dessert by itself, yes? (Ignoring the potential repercussions of eating uncooked eggs.) But just think about how much better brownies are fresh out of the oven, decadent and warm. Boy Set Sail have the potential to be one of the next great pop rock bands, but as it stands We’re Almost There is only half-baked.
And what I think it boils down to is simplicity. As stripped-down and accessible as pop rock is expected to be, Boy Set Sail aren’t doing anything remotely interesting or new with their instrumentation. Even with its big chorus, opening track “Rewind” just isn’t engaging. During the verses, all three guitars end up playing the same elementary melody, which the drums tend to mimic. There are no contrasting undercurrents, no real character, no depth. The music industry is saturated with hundreds of bands in this vein, and while the songs on We’re Almost There are pleasant on first listen, they don’t have staying power.
The bright side? To their credit, Boy Set Sail have two capable vocalists in Gareth Jones and Chris Russell, and the pair can harmonize with each other remarkably well. They’re at their best in the distinctly Four Year Strong-tinged “Believe,” which, while ringing out a little hollow at points, is mostly free of my earlier criticisms. It’s a catchy and raucous track that showcases just what Boy Set Sail are capable of. The anthemic “You Are” and the moody “All These Things” each have their own moments of brilliance as well, but after a listen or two We’re Almost There just feels like retread, like these songs have already been written and that I’ve already heard them.
As I said above, We’re Almost There is the perfect name for this EP. It’s competent, but needs work, and I’m fully confident that Boy Set Sail can build up from the foundations this release has laid for them. I fully expect their next release to be called “We’re There,” and I will happy lend an ear.
--Zach Roth
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