We wrote about Portland’s Boreen back in March, describing their sound as “somewhere between Mt. Eerie and Alex G, the mundane captured in stark detail and woven into something altogether more fantastical.” Led by songwriter Morgan O’Sullivan, the Oregon band have put out two albums with the fine folks at Good Cheer Records, serving up a playful sound that belies the deeper thematic underbelly. Take their first album Cartoons as an example, a record that delved deep into the seemingly trivial details of life in an effort to mine a sense of importance and meaning. As we concluded in our review: “Boreen avoid any accusations of being silly or twee, the childlike naivety not some affected front but rather a genuine attempt to preserve some sense of joy in a world where loss is all around.”
Boreen are back with a brand new standalone single, ‘Myers-Briggs’. Serving as something of a stepping stone between previous album Friends and new material set to be unveiled later in the year, the song continues the search for meaning and direction within our confusing contemporary times. More specifically, the post-collegiate stasis faced by many young people, where the main source of purpose and identity is stripped away, as well as anything by way of structure and instruction. As Sullivan explains: “I wrote this song after I graduated from college and had no idea what I was doing, who I was, or what I wanted.”
All revenue from the single will go to Occupy ICE Portland, a people-led occupation of the area surrounding the ICE offices and facilities in Portland, Oregon in protest against the US government’s draconian immigration policy. How often do you get to support such valuable and worthwhile causes while grabbing yourself some new music?
We’re delighted to be able to share the track a day early, but encourage you strongly to pay whatever you can spare once the song is released.
‘Myles-Briggs’ is out on the 28th June via Good Cheers Records and you can download it from the Boreen Bandcamp page.