Boe Weaver: Boe Weaver
Friday, 19, Mar 2010 05:17
By Matt Gardner.
Vu Records, out March 22nd.
In a nutshell.
A lot of bite, though only every now and again.
What's it all about?
Boe Weaver are doing the same as many others around them right now: releasing a self-titled debut album off the back of a relatively successful EP and are aiming to corner a market that it seemingly becoming more diverse by the day, never mind week. Boe Weaver also believe they've nailed their own style with this; in fact, they've got quite a high self-opinion, if promotional material is anything to go by. I suppose that's the definition of PR, though.
Who's it by?
Judging by one of the coolest promotional photos ever, it looks like they're Furries, yet Boe Weaver are a very abstract instrumental concept band based out of the Isle of Wight. It's certain that they're one of a kind in this respect. They regard their music as like "a lava lamp exploding in your face".
What the others say
"All round this album has some amazing tracks with super-cool delivery but fails to maintain this flair throughout." - Sphere
"If you need something to fill in the silence without making any demands on your consciousness - and without sending you into a coma - then this album is perfect. Although, it is difficult to imagine anyone going crazy over this."
So is it any good?
Inconsistency is the best word for this. Some tracks are excellent, while others are just... meh. Yep. With instrumental music, you have to carry a lot more power; more of a hook that the listener can stick their ear on. Sadly, some tunes - as nice as they are - wash over you.
It seems like Boe Weaver's self-titled debut album is at a loss in that its direction doesn't seem all that clear. I kept thinking that it would have been used in a contemporary horror film with a cool edge to it, or a throwback TV show with a good cop/bad cop routine going on.
For example, closing track I Think You Two Should Leave, a bass-heavy arrangement, sounds like something that wouldn't be amiss in a cutaway on Starsky and Hutch. What's more, it's not a good song to end the album on; there's no real finality about the offering, as if this hasn't been produced as an album but as a collection of songs. It's not a huge crime, though after a listen-through, it's like the end of Halo 2 - that stunned "seriously, is that it?" reaction.
Nonetheless, before that moment, there's a lot to enjoy. Monster Maker seems to be the early critics' choice and I'm inclined to agree; element of surf rock creep in to make it a perfect accompaniment to any fun-yet-violent film from the 1970s, using a creepy synth over dependable drums and a fantastic foot-stomping riff before giving way to an almost Oriental melody, kicking back in when the time's right.
Ghouls is much the same kind of thing - a retro sound, though one the band are evidently more proud of (releasing it as a single), incorporating a similarly unnerving New Orleans musical element; like a guitar-based jazz-swing fusion. It's not wholly convincing, though it's short and snappy and has a strong enough tune to carry it through. Plus the video's great, if you can get chance to see it online.
They paired Ghouls with the altogether more relaxed affair Jellybean, which doesn't go out of its way to impress, though the use of overhead distortion adds again to the worrying undertones of the music Boe Weaver specialise in. There's something altogether more charming about this song, however; it shows a more approachable side.
Still, it's not always like this; far from it, in fact. Sometimes you forget you've heard a track because it doesn't give you anything to enjoy outright, nor does it shock or grab you by the throat. Manhunt Part 2 did nothing for me. Mysterious Island sounded too much like any theme tune from a 1960s haunted house-based film for it to feel like anything but a parody. Opener Deadpan was just dead boring.
As for the rest, well... probably half-way in between, aside from the until now unmentioned Electric Man - that's also pretty damn good. Still, I have a lot of hope for these guys, so long as they stop trying to sound like the Beach Boys from beyond the grave, or the sound team behind the horror genre of TV and film in any American studio.
Try a few tracks, see what you think.
5.5/10