by David Wilikofsky
2021 felt like a breakthrough year for MJ Lenderman. Wednesday (a band in which he plays guitar and occasionally sings) released their highly acclaimed third album, and he also managed to put out multiple strong solo statements. Less than a year removed from those successes, he’s returned with a new full length. You might worry about a dip in quality given the rapid clip at which these releases are arriving, but those fears would be unfounded. Boat Songs is Lenderman’s crowning solo achievement to date, a set of countrified rock that is sure to stand among the year’s best releases.
When we reviewed his previous album (Ghost of Your Guitar Solo) last year, we compared Lenderman’s writing to his hero David Berman. Much like Berman’s best work, the songs on that album poked fun at the absurdity of everyday life while illuminating deeper truths about the human condition. Boat Songs doesn’t radically change that approach; these songs are still filled to the brim with moments of quiet contemplation, laugh out loud humor and confessional candor. What has changed is the music’s sense of focus. Ghost of Your Guitar Solo was charmingly shambolic, born from informal improvisational jam sessions with friends; it felt like sitting around with your pals, trying out ideas that didn’t always pan out. Though still resolutely lo-fi, Boat Songs is tighter, hits harder and covers more sonic territory than its predecessor. Look no further than “Hangover Game”, the countrified garage rocker that kicks off the album. There’s no stray notes or rambling guitar lines to be found; it’s a pure attack that never lets up until the song’s last notes ring out. Lenderman covers a lot of territory on the subsequent nine songs, from elegiac country (“Under Control”, “TLC Cage Match”) and drifting ballads (“Six Flags”) to lo-fi experiments (“Dan Merlino”), but that same sense of polish and craftsmanship is palpable on each one.
Lenderman brings to mind a lot of legends throughout the album. I can’t help but hear Gram Parsons in a track like “Under Control”, while “You Are Every Girl To Me” sounds like Pavement gone country. You can clearly discern these and other influences throughout the album, but his music never feels like imitation. From stating his unwavering love for the show Jackass to unabashedly silly yet affecting lines like “Did you find my Disney World / Did it make you dizzy girl“, Lenderman never tries to be anything other than himself; his songs are unpretentious, animated by his own obsessions and observations of the world. Though the off the cuff feel of his previous work had its charms, the tighter musical vision here allows his quips, jokes and truths to shine brighter than ever before. Taken in total, Boat Songs is a portrait of an immensely talented songwriter and musician who is at the height of his powers. I don’t know where he’ll will go from here, but to my ears, Boat Songs sounds like a stone cold classic.