English baroque-pop band Tugboat Captain combine the wit and subtlety of bands like the Kinks, The Divine Comedy, and Pulp on their new album Dog Tale, singing songs "about love, home and dogs". The band's songwriter Alexander Sokolow can write a song about a canine chewing on his slippers (Rufus) and you can't help yourself to be OK with that. The title track is written from the perspecive of the prized animals, who are quite nervous for a show, being afraid that they might be letting their owners down.
Nothing Embarrassing paints a picture of a couple in the early stages of their relationship. Finding out what the significant other likes or dislikes is trying to make it safe through the minefield - things can go terribly wrong - and it takes some time to come to conclusion that it is perfectly alright to be different. The hassles of being a young adult in a big city like London are in fact far more difficult to deal with. Rats overrunning the Big Smoke was the inspiration for Pest Control, which is a serious candidate for being the most fun chipper tune about a plague.
Dog Tale is like well-stuffed picknick basket, filled to the brim with tasty morsels to enjoy on a beautiful Spring afternoon. But it also works on a rainy day, when it will brighten up the listener's day without fail. It is a celebration of all things British. Some of it might seem cliché, but clichés will outlast a fad without even trying.
Tugboat Captain:
Alexander Sokolow: guitar, vocals
Joshua Cobb: bass, trombone
Buddy Caderni: keys, bassoon
Georgia Mancey: drums, percussion
Sophia Bartlett: violin, keys
Dougal James: keys, bass
Guest musiscians:
Isabella Bartlett: clarinet
Anna Baily: Trumpet
Oddville is a self-released album (vinyl, CD, digital). Buy it from their website.
Tracks:- Nothing Without
- Dog Tale
- Keep Me Cool
- Cheeks
- Nothing Embarrassing
- Impossible
- Rufus
- Pest Control
- Bored
- Rats In The Basement
- Nicky
- Parkbenches
- Thank God
- The Bahamas
- 04/25 Halifax @ Grayston Unity
- 04/30 Bristol @ The Lanes
- 05/01 Newport @ Le Pub
- 05/09 London @ The Ivy House
- 05/10 London @ The Ivy House
- 06/05 Falmouth @ The Fish Factory
- 06/26 Portsmouth @ Deco
- 06/27 Brighton @ Folklore
- 06/28 Rainham @ The Oast
- 06/29 Oxford @ The Tap Social
HCTF review of Rut
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