Did Animal Collective make it difficult for bands to express themselves in bizarre fashions without being immediately compared to them? I have gone back and forth on this thought for a while, but I can’t help but wonder if it rings true. I am a fan of Animal Collective's work, both as a group and in their solo projects, but I just hate how an unbelievable band like Boas can be pigeonholed with this analogy by casual observers, before they really break past the first layer of musical skin. Really, if you’ve been paying attention to Tyler Newbold’s musical output over the many years, Boas should seem like a natural artistic evolution.
My first introduction to Newbold was through his involvement in the incredible Richmond group, The OK Bird. Along with Taylor Burton and Adam Thompson, they created a wall of sound that was unlike anything I had heard or seen up to that point. Tunes like “Into The Night” and “Wormy Worm” represented a different approach to folk amalgams, and people took notice of the group’s rabid live performances. With these early warning signs, the collaborations of Burton, Newbold and Caleb Flood in Coald Toast didn't seem out of place. There were looped acoustic guitars and howling harmonies. Using electronics to enhance organic percussion helped to show off the trio’s musical prowess. The strongest showing of these elements at play was tracks like “Kindly LITE” and “Eternity Calendar.” Although the group didn’t last as long as their potential would have demanded, they left a legacy regardless, finding live niches in venues spanning from Rumors Boutique and The Firehouse Theatre to Cous Cous, and even a memorable set at New York Deli where they donned A Clockwork Orange-like costumes for a WRIR Monster Mashquerade.
It was only a matter of time before Newbold would begin developing new material for a project that would become Boas. On record, Newbold used this solo outing as a means of fleshing out electronic conundrums akin to those Coald Toast worked with, while reacting to the more organic parts of these songs. Boas' self-titled debut soaked in its ambience and allowed Newbold to focus on where his craft was headed. The slow build of “Equinox (Mametou)” eventually unravels in poppy outbursts, while breakbeats filter in and out of the mix. Over the course of it’s eight-minute glory, Newbold's breathy vocals help secure his musical identities in each leap and folded harmony. Percussion still plays a heavy role in how Boas' songs come to fruition. “Imagine Fire” finds a series of handclaps and electronic drums introducing the song, accompanied by Newbold’s hushed vocals. Soon, though, a streamlined keyboard part places all components into a new light, which showcases his nuanced musicianship and the distance he has traveled since his early projects.
Less than a year after the release of their debut, Boas released Grave Dreams. The relatively quick release of this follow-up helped to reveal where Newbold saw Boas heading. He would need to assemble a full band in order to recreate tracks like “Acre” and “No Wonder” in a live setting. Two months ago, in one of the first shows that the newly formed group played, they were able to masterfully descend into the worlds created by Newbold’s musical proclivities. In an engaging performance, they allowed for the songs to take on new interpretations, as new voices were applied to the initial sources. Surrounded by multiple instruments and a laptop, Newbold seemed right at home as a mad musical scientist dictating the moments where lush surroundings would transform into harsh terrain in a single progression change.
The most exciting part of being witness to Newbold's progress as a musician is observing his continuing efforts to create something unique and natural to his psyche. While most artists "go weird" in order to capture a particular sound, Newbold's seeming weirdness is just how he keeps himself interested in his own songwriting. Even if, upon hearing Boas, you immediately think that it sounds like Animal Collective, that isn’t really the worst reaction you could have. But regardless of any comparisons one could make about his current work, the more important point should always be seeing what Newbold, a strong component of the Richmond music scene for several years now, will come up with next. This is especially true now that he has a few other players to work with on new Boas material. Perhaps the next logical step for the group was always to see where collaboration could take the world that Newbold has assembled.
I wouldn’t be surprised if we were to see a new Boas release before year's end. Until then, you can always play catch-up with free downloads of their two pre-existing releases, which can be found at: