Sometimes the lyrics that work best are the ones that perch between the universal and specific. When you’ve been lulled in by the mundane details, a big statement can hit like an emotional sucker punch when you least expect it. It’s that see-saw between the concrete and abstract that makes The Boats worth noting- they catch you when you least expect by sliding in something bigger than themselves.Listen to “I Am Your Ghost” and at first there’s only a guitar sidling next to a piano, with words about disappearing appropriately fading into the rest of the music. All the politics of relationships are detailed with court report precision until Micah McGraw, The Boats’ lead singer, yells that “You moved to New York; I bought a safer car.” It’s a simple line but, from that pinprick center point on, the song rolls faster and faster. That specific start place creates an urgency for things to start getting big, messy, and beautiful. Once that happens, it’s not just Micah or The Boats who are the “ghost” in the song. You become one too.
“I’m Your Ghost” is about losing the closest people to distance and time. For a while, that was the story of The Boats. Begun in Savannah, The Boats had a shifting line-up that hasn’t stabilized until recently. With band members scattering across the country to LA and Portland, the sleepy Georgian center seemed on the verge of falling out. Now the band has rebuilt in Philadelphia, and with replacement band members culled from the Savannah scene, The Boats are getting to refine a sound that they thought had ended in one of the many “final shows” they played in Savannah.
The band is diverse enough that Savannah- with its southern gothic mystery and drooping willows- 
can’t tie down the range of the music. “I Am Your Ghost” calls up images like in a séance, but the next track on their MySpace page, “All in Vain,” builds in intensity with a cracking voice and silenced guitars only to return to a gentle swing that sounds steady as a breeze. The words are still center stage, but they aren’t put on a pedestal so high that the occasional yelp won’t reach them. “Give Ear” switches from the rock instincts of “All in Vain” and almost veers toward folk. It’s an acoustic trip meant to be played around a campfire lit by Zippos. There’s still edge, but The Boats aren’t tied down to a single sound. Maybe it’s because they haven’t found it, and maybe it’s because they don’t want to just yet.
Their last free track, “You’ve Met People…,” is a full on rocker and, in a way, it represents the best of the band. Instead of holding back, it moves at the pace of dance hall rock before a medley of instruments sway back and forth like, well, a sea shook boat. The Boats’ sway between rock and folk, between meditation and the howl, gives them and their listeners a lucky chance to figure out what exactly their sound is. And with the concision to capture a song’s worth of emotion in a single line about buying a safer car, it’s a good bet that they’ll be able to do it well. 
(Current Standing ~ 5 out of 5)
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August 26th, 2006 at 1:57 pm
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Loved the article–love the band, the picture is our favorite! You rock! Please send us info on joining your Fan Club. We’ld like to be a “groupie”. Love, Mom and Dad XXXXOOO
September 3rd, 2006 at 11:30 am
Good article about compelling songs. Thanks for recollecting yourselves.
September 3rd, 2006 at 11:32 am
Nice going guys! I have read elsewhere about a band being “the best band to come out of Savannah since The Boats”. XXXXOOOO
September 3rd, 2006 at 12:32 pm
:grin:I love The Boats. I am so glad they got back together. I hope to actually see them play one day!!!
September 3rd, 2006 at 12:40 pm
the article was great… i listen to you on repeat and you are one of my favorite bands… keep it up.. and let me know if you are ever in providence. -Olivia
September 3rd, 2006 at 12:43 pm
truer words were never spoken…the boats are an inspiration to all who who have ever owned a cd of theirs or happened across thier myspace page…for 4 years now i have been a loyal fan, and though i have never had the chance to experience a live performance, you all remain number 1 on my list. keep up the fabulous work - i know you won’t disappoint.
September 3rd, 2006 at 8:08 pm
great band. awesome music, even finer people. excellent article that really captures the mystic of the boats.
September 5th, 2006 at 11:58 am
The boats are awesome. Everyone should be listening to them.
September 5th, 2006 at 7:10 pm
Soundtrack to my summer! I love The Boats. It’s the only music/lyrics that makes me want to be sad for a little while and yet makes my laugh with relief. Lots of love, guys! Keep it up!
September 12th, 2006 at 5:34 pm
micah is the fuckin man. i used to work with him at tj’s. he’s a fantastic artist and i bet he’s a real blast to get drunk with.
November 15th, 2006 at 10:18 pm
We’re very happy The Boats have re-united.
We used to live in Savannah and have put Take a Walk on every road trip cd we’re burned since.
Sadly, my six year old knows the lyrics…