“I see beauty in death, in the turn of the leaves / The chill of the autumn brings relief from the heat.”
For a band that only has one full length and an EP to their name, Spokane natives Boat Race Weekend sound like they’ve been making music for years.
On their new four-song EP, Throw Your Head to the World!, the band forgoes additional frills and hyper-production to bring us an authentic pop-punk/emo listening experience—exactly what you’d expect to hear from them at a live show.
Sonically, they’re not anything we haven’t heard before. There are no innovative chords or unusual guitar tones, but the band members wield their instruments skillfully, somehow managing to make something old sound new again by infusing their guitar-driven music with a touch of sadness and a hint of classic 90s alternative tunes. Drummer Jay Orth and bassist Collin Price lay solid groundwork for vocalist Evan Kruschke, whose surprisingly deep voice is full of texture and depth, allowing him to hook you in and punch you in the feels within seconds of the opening track, “The Winter”. Lyrics like “Promise me, darling, that you won’t be afraid to smile despite a mouthful of broken teeth” on lead single, “Broken Teeth”, give you the feeling of being accepted and encouraged even when life is getting you down. By the time the final chord on the closing track, “She, The Ocean”, fades away, you’ll be scrambling for the replay button, ready to let their raw talent wash over you once more.
Throw Your Head to the World! is twenty minutes of alternative jams that sound like autumn: brisk and refreshing, with a frankness to the lyrics that is as satisfying to hear as the crunch of leaves under your feet.
Buy it, stream it, or skip it: Buy it! Pop-punk/emo hybrids are where it’s at right now, and Boat Race Weekend are exactly what you need to hear to truly believe in the genre.
