Artist Information
Biography
Acts The Boat People have supported give an inkling of their sound including The Shins (US), David Byrne (US), Midlake (US), Dogs Die in Hot Cars (UK) and Idlewild (UK).
"They resemble an amped up Elliott Smith or an angrier Brendan Benson; either way they're an intriguing proposition." Barfly Group/The Great Eacape program 2008
"Not since The Shins has a band come along that makes jangly pop with such elan. Matching The Decemberists for lyrical drollness, and with a subtly spiky edge to elegant vocals, you'd call it mature pop if it wasn't as lively as anything modernistic. "
(Planet Sound - Chandeliers top 50 albums of 2008)
In 2008 THe Boat People played the CMJ music marathon, a live set on Morning Become Eclectin on KCRW, shows at The Viper Room and Spacaland, and are being played on 20 radio stations across the US. THey return in 2009 to pay SXSW.
In the UK they played The Great Escape in May, toured then returned in October for 7 shows and great reviews for new album Chandeliers including 4 stars in Uncut, 7/10 in NME and chosen in top 50 albums of the year in Planet Sound (see below)
Chandeliers was released in Australia in July to a hailstorm of critical acclaim (see below) and massive radio airplay.
MESS AND NOISE
“A genuinely great Australian pop album that can comfortably stand alongside acknowledged classics like Woodface, Granddance or 16 Lover’s Lane….superb mature pop music, as good as anything you will hear in this genre this year. International recognition beckons”.
SYDNEY MORNING HERALD – 4 STARS
“This is a second album carefully balanced between the sheer pleasure of pop music and the wit of smart song writing. Chandeliers songs have a casual elegance and a droll eye but they are subordinate to what feels like real emotion, meaty playing and tunes that constantly entertain. The Boat People are the real deal”. (Bernard Zuel)
COURIER MAIL – 4 STARS
TIME OFF – 4.5 STARS (ALBUM OF THE WEEK)
“Eleven blindly brilliant pop songs… flawless, jangly, guitar pop for the thinking man… the album is a triumph.”
RAVE – 4.5 STARS (ALBUM OF THE WEEK)
“Is this a great album from The Boaties? Yesyesyesyesyes!“
THE BRAG – INDIE ALBUM OF THE WEEK
WHO WEEKLY – 4 STARS
4ZZZ – FEATURE ALBUM OF THE WEEK
3PBS – ALBUM OF THE WEEK
POLAROIDS OF ANDROIDS - 8.1/10
“Chandeliers is an undeniably brilliant, rich and honest pop record. Every inch of catchiness is matched and even occasionally exceeded by a clever lyric or a fitting guitar riff. Every cute and bright coloured flash is contrasted by a bittersweet poetic sentence or sharp tempo change. The Boat People are not only cleverer than the average 'indie pop' group but are also a lot more consistent. Each song carries it's own weight, yet at the same time this album feels like a single body of work. To be so pop-focused and still give off such a strong feeling of artistic freedom is extremely rare.”
BEAT – AWKWARD ORCHID ORCHARD SINGLE REVIEW
A new single from Brisbane’s bliss pop maestros, Awkward Orchid Orchard continues a fine tradition of faultless hooks from this gentle crew, who have surprising depth in their sweetness and light.
UK REVIEWS
NME 7/10 “there’s some really nice art-pop echos of the Cars and The Shins going on, and the more time you spend on it the more interesting it gets.”
Uncut 4 stars “It gets stronger and more addictive the more you play it, and charmingly insists that you discover that fact.”
Planet Sound top 50 albums of the year 8/10
Hurrah! A new band to follow Crowded House and The Go-Betweens for sumptuous Australian melancholia. Not since The Shins - who they've supported - has a band come along to make jangly pop with such elan. Matching The Decemberists for lyrical drollness, and with a subtly spiky edge to James O'Brien's elegant vocals, you'd call it mature pop if it wasn't as lively as anything modernistic.
Pennyblackmusic.co.uk With beautiful melodies and uplifting tunes the Boat People have a real knack for writing tunes and lyrics. They strike that perfect balance of creating both joyous tunes and perfectly crafted songs. The Boat People are a band for fans of current indie favourites such as Death Cab For Cutie, the Shins and Los Campesinos. They are the sort of band that embrace the poppier elements of music with fantastic credibility.
Subba-culture.com
How to raise a country's musical reputation in one easy step. The list of Australia's most famous musical exports doesn't exactly make the most pleasant of viewing: Kylie, Men at Work, er... Holly Valance? It's not great. So when a band comes along that rights a nation's worth of wrongs then they should be praised wholeheartedly not just for their own brilliance, but their brilliance in the face of terrible odds. With second album, 'Chandeliers', Aussie four-piece The Boat People have conjured up something pretty gorgeous. 'Unsettle My Heart' recalls Stephen Malkmus at his finest, managing to be both sparing at points and intensely layered at others, while tracks such as opener 'Awkward Orchid Orchard' and 'Babysnake' are all Brendan Benson-esque soaring melodies but with a whole heap of issues bubbling under the sunny surface. Genius throughout. Here's hoping the boat sails to British shores in the not so distant future.
new-noise.net They really do have a winning way with a tune that resembles Grand Prix-era Teenage Fanclub at their sunshiny brightest. Pure pop that lifts you up by the heart strings and gives you a great big kiss on the lips and a playful smack on the bum.
4 stars gigwise.com A touch of sunshine and a heavy dose of the 60’s have clearly gone into the making of ‘Chandeliers’, the second album by Aussie band The Boat People. Riding on the back of the glossy pop of The Shins and their ilk, 'Chandeliers' is the perfect relaxed pop album. Free of mass production, the home grown song writing and loving touches put into their work is undoubtedly the reason why The Boat People draw comparisons with that other great Antipodean band, Crowded House. For your moods and for your heating bill, this winter warmer is strongly suggested.
8/10 http://www.whisperinandhollerin.com/reviews/review.asp?id=5904 “they release their second album 'Chandeliers' on the back of a critically-acclaimed Great Escape Festival appearance and a string of UK dates which have had their name bandied around in all the right circles. All well and good, of course, but this reviewer has frequently been in a position where he's ended up feeling underwhelmed by a hotly-tipped item. Thankfully, though, 'Chandeliers' suggests that not only are The Boat People are welcome (temporary?) refugees on European shores, but that they are capable of wringing fresh energy out of indie rock's flagging constitution. The Boat People, then, are an inventive and intelligent crew. This writer has personally felt somewhat short-changed by the much-hyped cerebral pop pretenders such as Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Broken Social Scene in recent times, but in this case the tunes, energy and emotional depth keep pace with the quirks. 'Chandelier' hangs brightly and casts a very favourable glow indeed.
US REVIEWS
Fire Drills Review:
songs that are just plain good ol' indie pop full of melodies and lyrical charm. Based on the strength of Chandeliers I don't see this remaining unreleased in the US much longer.
8.3/10 SURVIVING THE GOLDEN AGE The In the end, the Boat People are a great pop group, no wonder they've slowly been getting more and more acclaim world wide. Chandeliers is just an easily digestible pop album with very few pitfalls.
(Rating: 5 stars) BABYSUE.COM When Australia's The Boat People hit the target, they really hit it dead center. These guys create subtle, moody, provocative smart pop that is surprisingly resilient and memorable."
SEYMOUR STEIN (SIRE RECORDS)
“The Boat People are one of the best new bands I have seen in several years and having heard the songs from their new album ‘Chandeliers’ and seen the band perform live, this new album could be the one that will bring them international notoriety.
OFFICIAL WEBSITE
www.theboatpeople.com.au
www.myspace.com/theboatpeople
Instrumentation
James O'Brien (Vocals, Bass) - Robin Waters (Vocals, Rhodes) - Charles Dugan (Vocals, Guitar) - Tony Garrett (Drums)
Discography
Chandeliers (Album 2008)
yesyesyesyesyes (Album, 2005)
Tell Someone Who Cares (Single, 2004)
Three Pieces for Small Ensemble (EP, 2003)
Squeaky Clean EP (EP, 2002)
The Boat People (EP, 2000)
Video
Press
Setlist
Typical setlist includes mainly singles from Chandeliers and a few from yesyesyesyesyes
Eg
Panic
Unsettle My Heart
On Your Side
As If I Could
Light Of love
Born In the 80s
Clean
Hours n Hours
Tell Someone Who Cares
Destination
Changing Sides
