The Bottom Line
If you are looking for another pretty, mainstream pop-rock song to tug at your heartstrings, "Boston," by the Calfornia-based band Augustana, is your ticket. It gained a big boost on pop radio in 2006 after having been included in the soundtrack to the TV show One Tree Hill. Fortunately, "Boston" is worth the attention. The melody is indeed beautiful, and a clever ironic twist in the lyrics is memorable.
Watch the "Boston" Video
- Emotional sweep of the song
- Beautiful piano-based melody
- Twist of irony in the words
- Veers close to being formulaic
Description
- Upfront piano-based melody
- Warm, inviting, emotional vocals
- Lyrics longing for escape
Guide Review - Augustana - Boston
Some of the most memorable pop-rock ballads capture a specific type of moment or feeling that makes the words of the song meaningful for millions of fans at the time the song becomes a hit, and, sometimes, for many years to come. "Boston," the first major pop hit from the California-based band Augustana, stands a chance at falling into this category. The central element of the song's lyrics is the feeling of a woman that she wants to travel across the country to an entirely new environment in order to escape the pain of the present.
The music and lyrics are delivered in a form that is on the border of becoming formulaic. This sound will be instantly familiar to fans of The Fray or Snow Patrol. Earnest vocals with strongly melodic instrumental backing are the order of the day. In this case it begins with piano followed by drums and guitars chiming in later. Fortunately, the melody is strong enough and the lyrics, with the ironic twist (for fans of the TV show Cheers) of Boston being the place where "no one knows my name," carry the song forward and keep it from drowning in familiarity.
It has been a long road with endless touring for the band Augustana from the initial September 2005 release of the album All the Stars and Boulevards, which contains "Boston," but it looks like the band are on the cusp of stardom with a truly memorable song.
