Writing a pop song—a really great one — is a daunting task. And to not only come up with one, but many, and play every instrument on each … well, not just anyone can do it. So hats off to Mike Boggs. The DC area musician works under the moniker We Were Pirates, melting vintage rock ‘n’ roll nuggets into the ore of his indie pop, while posing a triple threat on guitar, keys and drums. “Settle Down” recalls Buddy Holly’s “Not Fade Away” with its percussive stomp. “Rich Girl” sounds like something Rivers Cuomo would have loved to have written —the low chug of guitars, big synths and the slightly cynical barb of lyrics like, “Never let her know I’m bringing nothing to the table.” As a songwriter, Boggs has a light touch. He keeps his production on the simple side, sings straightforward and arranges his melodies to have a bright pop luster without becoming too big and shiny. We Were Pirates airs on the side of quirky, daring you not to smile with lyrics like, “I love you / You love him / And I sort of love him cause I love everything you love.” Which makes us sort of love Mike Boggs —all three of him.
