Winnipeg’s Boats! sound as if the disc on which their music was recorded can hardly contains their kinetically creative firestorm. Bursting with influences too obscure to mention, this band careens around these 14 tracks, leaving no musical stone unturned or quirky passage unattended to. It’s pure new-era pop and it works even after you get used to leader Mat Klachefsky’s eccentric adenoidal articulations. Intercontinental Champion hits like that morning caffeine rush and pummels you into submission with its kooky, over-the-top hooks. Absolute proof that there can be more talent in one local record store than in some entire Canadian cities.

(4 out of 5 stars) The debut of Winnipeg-based Boats! is as animated as its linear notes. The notes feature images of cock-eyed marching bands, court jesters, and flying sharks, all of which mirror this wildly imaginative indie dream-pop record. Lead singer Matt Klachefsky’s helium-induced vocals will immediately turn off some listeners, but if this quirk bothers them it’s really their loss, as a host of talented Winnipeg musicians join in on the project — including Jay Churko (Chords of Canada), Ashley Roch (The Western States), Shaun Gibsom (The Details) and Britt Hainstock (Half Court Prayer). A collective spirit is found all over Intercontinental Champion and you can feel their energy and love for the music. Lead off track “500%” defines the album’s mood as it includes an enthusiastic choir, a host of hand claps, peculiar kid toy keyboards, and a string of shakers and dancing xylophones. The rest of the record incorporates these same elements but is not repetitive in the least as Boats! keeps you on your toes by throwing in manic rockers “You Have Nothing to Lose…” and “Scenic Gorges.” Other standouts include “Breakfast Combo” with its side order of shout-out-loud harmonies and trumpets. “Combo” is perfectly complemented by an endearing acoustic/drum machine duet “Classic Rock Weekend” and the heartbreaking closer “River Creek Lake.” Boats! Intercontinental Champion gives an atomic leg drop to Canada’s indie scene and is bound to be hailed as one of this year’s best.

It’s been years since Transistor Sound & Lighting Co. – arguably Winnipeg’s most innovative pop band ever – played a gig or even entered the thoughts of most Canadians.

Luckily, one band is here to keep their legacy alive. Boats, led by Mat Klachefsky, sounds a lot a like Transistor: they’ve got the same quirky song arrangements, the same love of the drum machine and similar high-pitched vocals.

Oh, and they also share a band member.

“When Isaac Brock was looking for a new guitarist,” says Klachefsky, explaining how Jason Churko, Transistor’s frontman, joined Boats, “he just asked himself, ‘Well, who am I ripping off the most?’ That’s how Johnny Marr joined up. It’s basically the same story with Jay and I.”

While the band does sound a lot like Transistor, even with Churko in the band they’re not complete copycats. Boats is poppier, with bouncier, more conventional songs, plus they have five guys instead of two.

But really, it doesn’t matter whether they sound like Transistor or not, since no one outside the ‘Peg likely remembers the late-90s duo.

“And that’s criminal,” says Klachefsky. “It’s criminal that their album isn’t recognized as one of those top-whatever albums of all time.”

But Boats’ debut disc, Intercontinental Champion, might one day win that distinction. Every track is solid and, most importantly, memorable, which has as much to do with Klachefsky’s songwriting as it does with his surprisingly high vocals. Let’s just hope the guitarist can keep it together longer than his idol.

“Singing high is fun, but I’m constantly going full tilt. I’ll probably be talking with one of those electronic voice boxes by the time I’m 35.”

(Rating: A)

This is such a solid indie pop record, it’s hard to believe that it’s a debut. Then again, frontman Mat Klachefsky has been working on Boats in some form since he was in Grade 8. Though Klachefsky’s high-pitched and nasal vocals definitely take some getting used to, this is a sparkling, hook-laden record sprinkled with plenty of handclaps and sing-a-long chorus lines. Though Intercontinental Champion finds an easy home in the experimental section, it recalls the sonic oddities of Modest Mouse and Wolf Parade – bands that know the rules before they bend them. With members from Transistor Sound & Lighting Co., The Details and The Western States lending their talents to the record, this is a wonderfully whimsical testament to the creative talent of the Winnipeg music scene.
— Jen Zoratti

It’s Boats! As with animal names, indie bands are using exclamation marks enormously these days. I guess it’s a gesture of joyful excitement which fits the description of the local campy ruckus rockers Boats. The band centers around Mat Klachefsky who sings a collection of whimsical songs which are self described as metaphors of regrettable childhood experiences. Intercontinental Champion bursts with warm, infectiously catchy chords and sing-a-long chorus sections. It’s almost impossible to not eat it all up and ask for seconds. A great winnipeg pop masterpiece.

1. Boats – Intercontinental Champion (self-released)

The Arcade Fire minus the drama. An album that sparkles and shines with every single song, and it is all fun without corny and majestic without being melodramatic. My favourite unsung record this past year.

–Dave Ullrich (Zunior.com)

Boats!
Intercontinental Champion
An idea-stuffed piñata of an album that sounds like Modest Mouse after a heavy intake of laughing gas, International Champion mixes melody, humour, thrift-store synths, and Mat Klachefsky’s impossible-to-take-seriously vocals. “You Have Nothing to Lose Except Your Arms and Perhaps Your Legs” features what may be the year’s best opening line in a song: “Your clothes will someday be a Halloween costume.”