The Vulgar Boatmen are an archetypal cult band. Those of us who love them really, really love them, but the three albums the Indiana/Florida band released between 1989 and 1995 never reached a wide audience. (The final one, Opposite Sex, never even got an official U.S. release.) So, this reissue of their debut, bolstered by a pair of new remixes and three previously unreleased tracks, is a gift.
Dale Lawrence and Robert Ray wrote strummy, propulsive tunes that could recall Good Earth-era Feelies (“Drive Somewhere”), the Velvet Underground (“Margaret Says”) or Stax/Volt soul (“Hold Me Tight”). Their DNA also includes Bo Diddley, the Everly Brothers, Young Marble Giants and R.E.M. Their songs favored understatement and prosaic details, but when “Drive Somewhere” settles into its six-minute groove, it can settle into your heart, too. 1992’s Please Panic is their masterpiece, but You And Your Sister is nearly as good.
—Steve Klinge
