Basic Shape - Boat Without A Sail (Album)
Basic Shape is definitely a band that appreciates music. Hailing from Melbourne, this five piece are all about layered and textured structures, lush production, and witty, thoughtful lyrics, as evidenced on their debut long player Boat Without a Sail.
Coming from a definite indie folk-rock perspective, it is perhaps unsurprising that some pundits have drawn comparisons from Augie March or Gomez. While there may be some truth to this (especially on the track Gordonwhich threatens to be more Augie March than Augie March), Basic Shape tend to stand out from this ever-expanding and increasingly generic genre of folk-rock. Why? Because Basic Shape are a band with personality.
A lot of this personality comes in the form of lead singer Gerry Eeman’s vocals, which seem to waft effortlessly over proceedings with a definite Nick Drake breathiness.
Eeman’s vocals are complimented by some well-placed four part harmonies which recalls a Songs From Northern Britain era Teenage Fanclub or even the Beach Boys on Prozac.
Mickey Carney’s simple, yet atmospheric lead guitar acts as a nice counterbalance to Eeman’s vocals and is reminiscent of an unpretentious David Gilmour or Johnny Greenwood.
The choice of ex-Killjoy Craig Pilkington seems to be the perfect choice as he has helped steer the album toward a solid, cohesive album that still resonates on a personal level.
This comes as no surprise considering Pilkington has produced some of Australia’s most folk-rock acts such as the Black Eyed Susans and the Lucksmiths.
As a result, Boat Without a Sailis one of those albums that offers something new upon each listen – be it a barely audible guitar part or a sneaky little keyboard riff that creeps in on listen number four – Boat Without a Sailis the gift that just keeps on giving.
White Skin, the first single from the album offers a perfect introduction to the band – a surprising number that builds from the bare bones of vocals and guitar to an almost choral crescendo without any hint of pretentiousness.
While Basic Shape doesn’t seem to be one of those bands who would be likely to ‘rock out’ too often, that is not to say that Boat Without a Sail is a maudlin shoe-gazing experience. Songs like Rainy Day, with more than just a hint of Harry Belafonte-esque calypso, and the up-tempo staccato of Up Till Dawn,almost dare the listener not to get up off of that thing and dance (or at the very least tap a foot).
There is an inherent musical intelligence to Basic Shape. They seem to have learnt early on in their careers one of the most important rules of popular music - knowing when not to play.
Overall, Boat Without a Sail is a cohesive, dynamic album that is full of rich textures and enough surprising twists and turns to keep the listeners coming back long after the first listen.
