Tugboat Captain Album Review
Album Title: RUT
Tugboat Captain have made the transition from their DIY Bedroom studios to the legendary Abbey Roads Studios to make their debut album, Rut.
This album was a long time in the making for the band, written well over a year ago this has allowed Tugboat Captain to collaborate with a variety of friends who they knew would add to the essence of the record. There is a recurring theme of stasis and frustration which is eerily prescient in this very strange year, the lyrics draw on the theme and allow the band to grow in their new surroundings.
Straight out the gate, the psychedelic wonderful world of Tugboat Captain explodes out of the opening track ‘Check Ur Health’ leaving us happy, delighted and completely in good health. The confidence that pours out of the easy changing tempo gives this track so much life.
Then you have ‘If tomorrow is like today’ is presented with deliberately confusing key playing which makes you transfixed in the arrangement of the track.
‘No Plans’ shows the band's ability to bring this 60’s psychedelic rock into the modern music arena, slightly more stripped back texture and more focused and strong lyrics which makes this a firm foundation for the album.
The evolving within Rut continues to become apparent with ‘C’mon! Haribo’, where you get a cheeky vibe from the record similar to a prime Pulp.
‘Rut …Waking Hour’ at the far ends of the album is a rawer honest track that brings the soft rustic vocals to the front of the show, but even for a track with a slower tempo you can’t help but feel the energy bubbling up, and you are not disappointed as sections of thumping electro sends you into out of space at the end.
When you get to the end of the album and have heard 10 great songs you can only hope the momentum and promise can survive for the curtain closer, ‘Day to Day’ manages to live up to that expectation and provides the band a last hurrah before the draw the curtain on a very impressive album!
5 Hooks out of 5
Written By Kess Anthony
Tugboat Captain Single Review
Title Track: No Plans (Later this year)
Tugboat Captain are a four piece indie rock band coming from the capital, London, where there is a delicious amount of music pouring out of the underground scene recently. The band are moving away from their DIY roots with this new single, ‘No Plans (later this year)’ as they prepare to embark on a new direction with their debut album ‘Rut’ later this year.
‘No Plans (later this year)’ has an eerily relatability with this current climate we find ourselves living in during lockdown, but one of the few highlights that have come from this strange time is the amount of quality new music which has been released, so it’s time to find out if this track fits into that category.
The track has an easy feeling and nature, it’s hard not to feel a hint of influence from The Beatles when listening to the song. The instruments provide layers of wonderfully smooth tones, this allows the lyrics to pop out and the meaning behind them place you in a state where the words sink into your brain that stems you to a daydream.
‘No Plans (Later this year)’ is a nice starter for the main course later this year in the shape of ‘Rut’, we hope the rest of the album follows this direction. We want more of this notable grandeur which has taken over the DIY Tugboat Captain and allow it to make a presence in their future releases.
3.5 Hooks out of 5
Written By Kess Anthony