Bronze-Age Boats (general review)

A South-Walian Gaslight Anthem is how I’d like to dropkick you all into the idea of Bronze-Age Boats. At least, I think that’s how I’d describe them, in as simple a way as I could. But, perhaps with a bit less Bruce Springsteen, and a bit more Franz Ferdinand in replacement. Somehow, that still doesn’t seem to quite express how I’d like to describe them perfectly…

The band are made up of four polite young lads, Sion, Moc, Jamie and Sam, who got together just last year. However, in just this short amount of time they have managed to create a lump sum of songs sure to sway your hips, and your hearts. 

The first time I saw this band was Summer 2013 during the first ever Rhondda Underground gig and webcast. To conquer my nerves that evening, I truthfully admit to having had one (or six) too many glasses of wine (pints) and was quite the picture to perceive by the end of the night. Amid the drunken debauchery though, this band stood out to me, and I swooned over every song. Afterwards, I, embarrassingly, harassed Sion in the kindest of ways to tell him of the excitement I felt having witnessed their performance. I even tried giving my rendition of my favourite song that I had just learned to prove this point. Not quite so wonderful coming from a near tone-deaf drunk. 

Almost a year having passed since this intoxicated incident, I had the pleasure of getting to see this band again, twice, just a few weeks apart, when they entered, and progressed through to the final of the Rhondda Rocks BOTB. Both times I was absolutely amazed by their performance, and can’t express enough how much of a well deserved victory it was for them to come second out of thirty four participating bands. Previous to these shows however, I tried to educate myself a little more via the wonders of their Soundcloud, and was very much, and once more, excited to hear that song that I fell in love with. And everyone I showed it to had the exact same sentiment about it. If you were kind enough to come along during the finals, you would have heard the (once again) drunken bellows of a very common Taff, with the persistent demand for them to play it.

"No Lights" is an anthem. A ballad. An epic (though only three and a half minutes long). And Sion’s vocals make me think of something Jake Bugg could possibly be capable of if he’d just cheer up a little bit. The song is to be featured on their up and coming EP, ‘Counting Tides’ which I am tremendously excited for. ‘Let’s Excavate!’, another tremendous tune, reminds me most of that ‘Gaslight Anthem’ kind of happy rock ‘n’ roll you can both swing dance, or lightly headbang to, and look nothing but cool doing either.

Bronze-Age Boats are a band that I no doubt believe have what it takes to make it big. I really do. They have the professionalism that shows they’re serious about what they do, but they’re also just four lovely lads that really do enjoy making their music, and quite like that you like it too. I recommend giving the EP a listen as soon as you can, and in no time I’m sure you will be as won over by them as I have been.

https://www.facebook.com/BronzeAgeBoats

https://soundcloud.com/bronze-age-boats