Album Review :: State Lines :: For The Boats

Written by: Andrea Janov, CC2K Music Editor

State Lines :: For The Boats :: Tiny Engines

I have been waiting for this one. A few months ago I reviewed their Self-Titled EP and have been waiting for the release of For The Boats ever since. Well, it is finally here, and let me tell you, you will not be disappointed.

The sound of For The Boats took me by surprise. There is much more variety and diverseness to this record than I expected. Some tracks lean towards indie, some emo, and some punk rock. And the vocals range from poppy to gravely, sometimes within a single track. This album shows a new dimension to their sound and shows how talented State Lines really are.

For the Boats introduces us to the album, the voice, the attitude, and the vibe that we fall in love with through the album. It is a great lead off track to draw the listener in. Shady Existence is a slow indie track with the type of lyrics that I am a sucker for. “Convinced there must be something in these songs…/me telling some kid through a microphone / he might be fucked in the head but he’s not alone”. Shit For Brains is a bassy chaotic track, For The Ears is an acoustic song that lets the listener see deep inside the band. Indian Burn encapsulates the feeling of being young in suburbia with a crush. Tuesday Morning has a great range, there are moments it is slow and pretty and moments that are full of scorn. What really gets me is that the track deconstructs and it progresses, at the end it is so simple, raw, and beautiful. Where It’s Warm is an awesome acoustic track that begins with banter among the band (which I am a sucker for) then becomes a stripped down honest track.  My pick for the stand out track is Kids. It begins slow and intimate full of nostalgia before it explodes with a restless energy and reflection / wisdom. “We were just kids / shaking off consequence”. Didn’t we all…

This album flew by…and I just had to hit repeat.