The Boy Bathing "A Fire to Make Preparations"

The fact that The Boy Bathing compared themselves to Bright Eyes and The Decemberists filled me with enthusiasm. I played the album while driving home. Traffic was calm, so I knew I could listen critically. The first twenty seconds of “The Beaches Meet the Sea” grabbed my attention. It had a little flower power, but as soon as it turned to twenty-one seconds I was a goner. Honestly, I switched Cd’s. Eventually, I knew I had to listen to it, but it was a Monday. On Tuesday, on my way to school, I gave myself a pep-talk and put it in.

I basically listened to the entire album in five minutes. I found a few melodies that caught my attention and listened to them in entirety. All I have to say is that the lyrics are some of the best lyrics I have heard in a long time. They are poems rather than just words that fit into verses. The beauty of the lyrics is that they are the main focus in each song. They were not over powered by the mandolin, air organ, or even the accordion. David Hurwitz has the gift of words. Each song has purpose and a mission. He truly grasp a concept and paints it with words. The album is also relevant to what’s occurring in our society. From being a soldier off duty to a homeless in New York City, he finds a way to make them relate to an emotion or event in our own lives. Lyrics aside, his voice has a different sound, but it fits in with the melodies and the raw lyrics. The Boy Bathing is band that combines raw emotions in their poetry with Jeannie Scofield’s beautiful harmonies. When her voice layers Hurwitz’s, I received permanent goosebumps. Together they create silk with the contrast in their individual voices.

I recommend “A Fire to Make Preparations” if and only if, you can appreciate the art and the purpose behind each song. I especially recommend “Victory Walk”, “The Purpose of a Rake”, and “My Parent’s Religion.”