Hello reader,
Welcome back.
Today, we’re going to delve into Boy Golden. This is the moniker that Liam Duncan has used since 2021, as a Manitoba, Canada-based alternative-country and folk singer-songwriter. But once you begin listening to his music, you realize that you shouldn’t hold artists to narrowly focused genres they can’t break out of, and Duncan is a great example of someone who makes very diverse-sounding albums that often feature multiple genres that somehow fit cohesively into a lovely listening experience. Chalk that up to talent, a vision, and good execution from Duncan and the production team involved in crafting his albums.
Liam Duncan was born and raised in Manitoba’s second-largest city, Brandon, and moved to Manitoba to join the indie rock band The Middle Coast. After they broke up, he released the full-length album If I Don’t Feel Better in 2019 under his own name. Duncan looked further inward and realized he needed to rebrand his music for the better, resurfacing as Boy Golden, guitar in hand.
Two years later, he released his debut full-length album Church of Better Daze (2021), followed up by his second album For Jimmy (2023), his third album For Eden (2024), and his first EP, Finding Eden (2025), which expanded upon For Eden. His music garnered not only positive reviews from a widespread audience but also acclaim in Canada. Proving that he was a talented songwriter and album crafter as he developed his confident singing voice. The album Church of Better Daze garnered Boy Golden a Canadian Folk Music Award nomination for Canadian Folk Music Award for Contemporary Singer of the Year, For Eden received a Juno Award nomination for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year at the Juno Awards, and the album For Jimmy garnered Boy Golden a Canadian Folk Music Award for Contemporary Album of the Year. And his first headlining tour of North American dates. Quite a start to a career, and soon he’ll be more of a household name outside of Canada because Boy Golden’s newest album, Best of Our Possible Lives, is out via the wonderful Toronto-based Indie label Six Shooter Records on Friday, February 13th, for your listening pleasure.
His Bandcamp bio reads: “Boy Golden has a purpose: enjoy each day and make good music. Founder and minister of The Church of Better Daze, he wants to help people seeking to improve on yesterday’s themes. His songs, like hymns, are hopeful, fresh, and upbeat.” While I wasn’t too familiar with Boy Golden a few months ago, as I become more and more familiar with him, I feel that’s a great place to start, but not to rest upon. Josh and I have become fans of his artistry, so don’t be surprised if you see more Boy Golden content on SWT in the near future.
The album as a whole is grounded in philosophy and examination, paired with incredible musical talent. Wisdom and earnestness. Looking specifically at the song while waxing poetic about his song “Like a Child,” Boy Golden said via the album’s press release, “Imagine your life as a river, flowing, changing. Sometimes, you run into rocks in the river. Obstacles. If you hit a rock and get stuck, the river will rush on while you remain in place. This song is about being soft. To be soft, to be present, to be adaptable, to be vulnerable, to be ‘Like a Child’; this is how we flow around the rocks, this is how we erode them. Eventually, the rocks become smooth, and you will forget they were ever there as you flow effortlessly past them.”
And now for some hype for your ears and eyes via Boy Golden’s YouTube channel:
The multi-locale settings that show everyday humans represented video for the strong, unifying, album-opening song, “Suffer”:
(All credits and rights to Boy Golden)
The video that features a warm palette, shorelines, and amusement in the incredible song, “Like a Child”:
(All credits and rights to Boy Golden)
The video for the catchy song, “Cowboy Dreams (feat Cat Clyde)” starts outdoors but moves indoors to a recording space:
(All credits and rights to Boy Golden)
A look into the recording studio within the video for the titular and closing song, “Best of Our Possible Lives”:
(All credits and rights to Boy Golden)
Overall, Best of Our Possible Lives sees Boy Golden taking significant steps forward as a songwriter and songcrafter. Starting with a base of curiosity, combining the practice of looking inward and outward for answers, using wisdom, and life experiences, and turning that into twelve tracks of a fantastic listening experience. The result is beautiful artistry that showcases Boy Golden’s combination of ponderation and music. And on a few songs, Cat Clyde. With her own tone and delivery, she’s a great vocal balance to Boy Golden. Kudos to both. And kudos to those who contributed to group vocals on other songs, creating a chorus-like effect. And kudos to the entire studio lineup of musicians that contributed to the melodies with guitarwork, percussion, and much more instrumentation, including a lap steel appearance, and their songcraft. Truly supremely talented, as you’ll hear as you listen along.
Each song on this album is different in melody and arguably sub genre. There’s plenty of grooves and flow state amongst the folk, pop, and some funky times as well. The vibes are immaculate. It’s chill and feels natural. No, not Grateful Dead or jam-band laid-back, but it’s not an anxious work either. Despite the songs being so different, the album comes together well and moves swimmingly from song to song regardless on the song’s pacing.
Each song has its own theme, examining a different hypothetical about life and the human condition with varying degrees of subtlety. A good, well-nuanced balance that features the proper amount of reflection, reverence, and examination. At times, the theme is more in-your-face; at other times, more abstract. All the while, the songs are catchy, and don’t leave you feeling like you’re back in a lecture hall for Philosophy 201 class or being preached or talked down to. Call it grounded cerebral and not trying to be anything more than confidently the best version of yourself in the present. Being damn good at songcraft shows up multiple times on this album. Listening to the songs makes me think Boy Golden would be a great dinner guest, offering excellent philosophy and stimulating discussion from his perspective. In creating this album, there were undoubtedly plenty of cathartic moments for Boy Golden as he examines the human condition and the state of affairs. There are plenty of warm, tender moments. Listening to the album may inspire the listeners to read and examine more after they finish the album.
The excellent opener, “Suffer,” achieves the group collective in a large fuck you in the best ways, without leaving you in a state of depression. It’s arguably my favorite song on the album, and I wouldn’t mind more of its kind from Boy Golden in the future. But you won’t find more of its exact kind on this album, as it is not a full call to arms for modern political/social affairs.
Boy Golden’s vocals are crisp throughout the album; his tone is pleasing to the ear, neither overdone nor outside what you expect. His great vocals stick with you as you listen in the best ways. Especially during the earworms. The silky vocals paired with the groovetastic song “Chickadee” is one of a few examples of this.
The adventure on display in the lyrics of the song “Moontan (feat. Cat Clyde)” paired with the bouncy, drum-forward melody creates a fairly jubilant, head-bobbing atmosphere as you listen. This is balanced with frustrated lyrics about one’s time. “Eyes” is a fantastic tribute. Make sure to listen to the entire album, but don’t skip any songs. Definitely not this song.
Ultimately, I think Boy Golden achieves what he set out to do in the present on Best of Our Possible Lives and then some.
Best of Our Possible Lives gets 4.5 out of 5 Scum Drops from me. There’s a lot to like about this album as a whole, as well as its individual songs. I am a big fan of nearly every song. There are plenty of ear-worthy moments, some standout tracks and songs you’ll definitely add to your playlists. You will listen to it on repeat even if you’re not a Boy Golden fan before this album. Kudos to all involved. All things considered, this album falls within the 4.5 Scum Drops rating range compared to all new releases this year. I recommend adding it to your collection on the formats of your choice, including vinyl.
I’ll always advocate that you take the time to listen to every album in its entirety. The listening process with Best of Our Possible Lives will take a mere 44 minutes from start to finish. Along the way, you’ll discover your own favorite songs without the influence or bias of others. After several listens, I found the songs highlighted in green below to be my favorites on this album.
The tracklist for Best of Our Possible Lives [song length]
- Suffer [3:23]
- The Matter at Hand [4:18]
- New Orleans [3:35]
- Like a Child [3:36]
- Chickadee [3:40]
- Cowboy Dreams (feat. Cat Clyde) [3:22]
- Bad Habits [3:27]
- Moontan (feat. Cat Clyde) [3:43]
- Eyes [4:37]
- Meadowsweet [3:50]
- You Got It [3:29]
- Best of Our Possible Lives [3:08]
Total runtime: 44:16
For more information on Boy Golden, including but not limited to where to get the album, visit his website, follow him on Instagram and Facebook, check his bio.to page, and listen to his music on Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube. And check out tour dates here.
Thank you for reading and supporting good music.
Until next time,
Alex
Scummy Water Tower Productions co-founder, reviewer, business manager, and editor. Thank you for visiting this site: scummywatertower.com, and YouTube for Water Tower Sessions!
Contact me: alex@scummywatertower.com
