It’s tempting to call New Zealand quartet Borderline a band out of time, but that would be unfair, because the production on the band’s eponymous debut album is very much in the now. The songwriting and musicianship, however, recall a time when, well, the bar was higher for what it meant to be good at either of those things. If the 1975 made a yacht rock album, it might sound like this, but that’s unfair to Borderline, because the 1975 has yet to make an album this consistently listenable front to back.
One gift the band shows off at the jump is their knack for writing a good two-chord song, which is much harder than it sounds. “Can’t Stop Myself” sets the tone for everything that follows. The band carefully chooses their drop-out and drop-in moments with the instrumentation (the drums here, the bass there), and bit by bit the song evolves into a rave. The funky “Skyline” sports a bass line from 1979, which is fitting because the scratch guitar work from Matthew McFadden owes a small debt to Nile Rodgers. “Terrify” has guitar work that nails the 1975 comp home (think “She’s American”).
One of the album’s best tracks is saved for next to last. “When It’s Raining” is anchored by a piano line so simple and catchy that it’s unthinkable that no one has come up with it yet. Turning the song into a chain gang chorus at the end is a genius move, and they don’t stop there; the finale raises the stakes even higher.
Throughout the album, singer Ben Glanfield shows off an aching tenor, and matching falsetto, that will make the young girls swoon, and the fact that he looks like a bit Finn Wolfhard doesn’t hurt. This is also where the band could get into trouble. It’s easy to see Borderline become the next Maroon 5, and at first, the band might love that kind of attention (and album sales), but navigating that space over the long haul is tricky.
But for now, sure, they should lean all in on songs like the synthy/funky “That Girl,” or “Watching It Burn,” which travels in similar Y2K pop/rock territory. If they’re smart, though, these are first steps, not the blueprint for things to come.
Borderline has the chops, the pipes, and the tunes, the holy trinity of pop stardom. The only question is what they’re more interested in accumulating: accolades or groupies, both of which are well within their grasp. It will be interesting to see what the band chooses to do with this moment. At the very least, it’s nice to see a young band that knows how to play.
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