It’s hard to pin down a band like Tugboat Captain. Like any emerging DIY artist, they don’t try not to limit themselves to just one sound. While I might not go so far as to say “genre defiant” the lines start to become ambiguous.
The South London group’s newest album, All At Once, is both its most daring and experimental to date — exploring some of the grey spaces between subgenres like “baroque pop” and “dance-punk.”
It took nearly a decade and a rotating cast of collaborators to find a nice equilibrium.
Tugboat Captain was originally a solo vehicle for frontman Alexander Sokolow, also known as “Sox,” who along with a loose-knit group of friends and family helped piece together a compilation of living room recordings.
Their debut album, while vastly different, was a catalyst of sorts — one which led to a long-term bond between Sox and bassist Joshua Cobb, who aside from Sox, himself, is the only original member featured across all five albums.
Together, they are in charge of Ctrl P, a recording studio that has come to serve as the band’s headquarters and creative anchor.
Tugboat Captain continues to evolve, adding in a variety of instruments and orchestration, which remain a central part of the band’s core identity.
Their previous album, Dog Tale, was released last year and it is undoubtedly their most cohesive project to date. It was written and recorded over one week in August 2024.
Having found a comfortable balance with their present lineup — which includes Georgia Mancey on drums, Sophia Bartlett on violin and Dougal James on keys — they set out to create something more expansive.
All At Once is so vivid and colorful all throughout. It’s crazy to think that it was all recorded in just two weeks.
“Roll Over” sounds like it could have been recorded in the early 2000s. It reminded me a lot of LCD Soundsystem and Arcade Fire.
Tugboat Captain embraces the baroque pop label with a burst of sonic energy — layering the hum of the organ with bright anthemic horns and backing vocals from the Ctrl P choir.
It’s catchy, clever and a little bit sarcastic. Sox channels his frustration by expressing how no matter what happens he will “just roll over and take it.”
The titular track, “All At Once,” on the other hand, takes on a much darker blend of synth-driven pop and layered harmonies.
You can really tell a lot of thought and energy went into the song. It’s emphatic and expressive, while also very technical and precise.
“Stumble On” builds on this momentum with a more 80s new wave inspired sound, while “Us & the Moon” channels a more ambient and textural sound that feels deeply contemplative.
I really enjoyed the song “Perfect Opportunity,” even if it was a little too on the nose. It feels like it tries to capture what someone might assume a band named “Tugboat Captain” would sound like. It even includes a boat horn.
The clanging pots and pans type-beat sets the pace while the strings give it a little country twang. It’s a little quirky, mixing in what feel like a random collection of practical sound effects, but it’s also sweet and uplifting.
In the vein of singer-songwriters like Ben Folds and Father John Misty, they enjoy juxtaposing snarky wordplay with wispy indie-folk melodies.
“All Ends” is a stripped down ballad that really captures something poetic and personal, except if you listen what he’s really singing about is his aching back.
“It all ends the same way / another day of chronic back pain.”
If that doesn’t make you laugh, give “You Know I’m Really,” a good listen. It’s rather sardonic lyrics cut pretty sharp but sonically it’s so positive. I really enjoyed how ironic this one feels.
The album ends with “On & on & On” a scratchy lo-fi cut that serves as a callback to Tugboat Captain’s earlier sound. It really captures that communal vibe that has been so essential to this band’s growth.
All At Once stands out as the group’s most dynamic and unique album. It’s something they really took the time and energy to craft and it really shows. All I can say is that I really look forward to seeing how Tugboat Captain continues to evolve.
Take a listen to All At Once below.
Written by Dan Offner
