Dream Boat

Eclipsing

BY Daniel SylvesterPublished Dec 4, 2012

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Now that Elephant 6 has turned 20, the sometimes corporeal, sometimes theoretical collective has become more precious than ever. And that's why Dream Boat's decision to align themselves so closely with the psychedelic pop zeitgeist can be viewed as a kind of double-edged sword. On Eclipsing, the Athens, GA band enlist the help of E6 alumni like Olivia Tremor Control's John Fernandes, Elf Power's Andrew Reiger and Neutral Milk Hotel's Scott Spillane. Released on Will Cullen Hart's Cloud Recordings, expectations are understandably set high on the duo's debut LP, but rather than try to compete with their peers, Dream Boat drive their Southern psych sound down a different avenue. On tracks like "Sea to Sky" and "Fever," Dream Boat lean heavily on vocalist Page Campbell's whispery, doe-like delivery, while the more upbeat material takes advantage of Dan Donahue's ethereal, minor-key playing. Eclipsing works as a sort of achievement for Dream Boat, showing a pair of musicians unafraid to utilize staid musical traditions to carve their own path.
(Cloud)

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