Categories
MusicRecord Reviews

New Madrid: Yardboat


Shades of the last decade of indie-roots-rock hover over Yardboat, the debut from Athens quartet New Madrid: Band of Horses, My Morning Jacket, The Avett Brothers. But the young group also does just enough to set itself apart.

Reverb-soaked and vaguely jammy, songs like “Magnetoception” suffer from aimless guitar meandering and a mumble-jumbled lyrical delivery. The two tracks that bear the “Country Moon” name fare better; “Pt. I” is a rollicking, virally catchy thing, while “Pt. II” expands on the first tune’s levity, veering close to lite-worldbeat territory but remaining just this side of tasteful.

The 10-minute “Pond,” the album’s spatial anchor if not a clear thematic one, is a murky instrumental piece that feels out of place. “Houseboat,” clearly the album’s best track, finds New Madrid applying some of the same expansive principles with far more pleasaurable (and memorable) results. There are too many competing ideas afoot on Yardboat, but there’s also a wealth of clear promise.

RELATED ARTICLES BY AUTHOR

  • AthFest is Canceled This Year as Coronavirus Spreads

    As the coronavirus continues to spread illness and unease throughout Georgia and the U.S., Athens suffers a significant cultural and economic blow as organizers have announced the cancellation of...
  • Five Acts to See at Ad·Verse Fest

    With an eclectic approach that mines the space between music, visual and performance art, Ad·verse Fest features an exciting, queer-centric lineup of scrappy newcomers and more road-tested acts, many...
  • Shane Parish & Sean Dail

    With the innovative North Carolina band Ahleuchatistas, guitarist Shane Parish pushed the boundaries of the early-’00s math-rock scene by incorporating international influences, as well as a healthy dose of...
  • Ruston Kelly, Valley Queen

    Specializing in a twangy, earnest brand of Americana he famously dubbed “dirt emo” in 2018, singer-songwriter Ruston Kelly made good on the term’s promise last year with the release...