If you’ve never heard the names Dan Donahue or Page Campbell before, don’t feel bad. The duo from Athens, Georgia has dabbled in the indie psych scene for the past few years, Donahue writing for of Montreal and Elf Power and Campbell performing occasionally with the hyper-weird music collective known as Dark Meat. (If you’re still lost, hang in there I’m reeling too). To your average earbud-wearing, touchscreen-poking human, they’re nobodies. Released under the moniker Dream Boat, Eclipsing is the pair’s first recorded work and a promising shove off into the placid waters of psychedelic folk. 
Dream Boat’s sound is tough to put a finger on. Listeners familiar with Swedish folk act First Aid Kit, will hear echoes of the Söderberg sisters in Page Campbell’s hovering serenades. The same fans may find Eclipsing a shadowy, staid alternative to the woodsy cheer they expect from the Swedes. Dream Boat’s music is spectral and enchanting and it’s clear that the two budding folksters are intent on building a unique sonic landscape – a musical atmosphere, not just a collection of songs. Their sound is most impressive when it’s extended and bolstered by carefully placed streaks of brass and strings. The orchestral backing on Eclipsing is woven well into Donahue’s arrangements, most noticeably when Neutral Milk Hotel’s Scott Spillane adds a beautiful splash of trumpeting to the stand-out single “Sea to Sky.”
Donahue’s writing is soft and lonesome. Eclipsing tells a celestial tale filled with wisps of love and darkness that float through moonbeams and black water. The lyrics maintain thematic consistency, track to track, as Eclipsing traces the rising and setting of a universal romance: hopeful in its infancy and fragile once it’s worn out. Donahue’s simple storytelling matches Dream Boat’s minimalist composition and quiet sound. It’s a delightfully coy blend of meaning and measure.
Eclipsing will pair nicely with a powdery winter walk or a cozy evening indoors. While it’s nothing to drool over, Dream Boat has certainly given listeners an exciting taste of what may be in store. Dream Boat won’t blow you away – yet – but the band’s style and mood are refreshing and arguably quite promising. Let’s hope these two talented musicians continue to smooth out their style and create something even more brooding and moving soon.
3/5 bars
