Synth-driven single”Boardwalk” finds power in the journey

“Boardwalk” jumpstarts to life with spacey-synth hymns and beach-pop guitar riffs. The mixture of futuristic synth and a familiar indie-pop guitar sound makes for a refreshing modern bedroom pop track, with lyrics both relatable and fun. Walking beside the beach, living day to day without a dollar in your pocket, and just existing in the sun. The layers of synth pile on across the track, with each chorus becoming more multilayered and intense, while the verses reflect that more chill, beach-pop sound.

The lyrics tend toward a more ironic realm too, with Doobert reflecting on the negative balance on his debit card while being, “on the boardwalk / just trying to have fun.” Meanwhile, his friend is selfishly making millions. The lyrics also have a vivid visual element with lines like, “see the tide rolling into the moon, and even moral stories in the lyrics like, “checking out his allocations across diversification/good depression medications/why did no one else come to the beach?”

Overall, “Boardwalk” is a deceptively fun beach song, but on a deeper level, it’s about seeing the journey as the destination and even criticizing society for taking superficial things too seriously. Scoobert Doobert, a San Diego-based artist, has done a lot in recent years, having just recently produced CHAI’s recent single “WHOLE”  as well as collaborating on other remixes for the band. That song is also the theme for the comedy-drama series “Koi-senu Futari,” which is on a popular TV network in Japan.

He’s been featured in a few magazines this year like PASTE, Pitchfork, NME, and more, and he was even nominated for best R&B, funk, or soul album at the 31st annual San Diego Music Awards (where he is based) for his 2021 LP Big Hug. Check out his website for more of his works, and listen to “Boardwalk” below.