Olivia Cox’s “Burn The Boat” is all about the uncertainty that can exist when you’re not sure if a relationship is right, even when there’s something you’re actually willing to hang on to. It’s an 80s inspired sound with a modern alt-pop feel and the narrative arc moves very clearly from doubt to commitment. The central metaphor of burning the boat and staying on the island provides a very clear trajectory to the story, the decision to stop looking for an exit and just stay where you are.
Rather than it being a case of commitment just being the natural thing to do, Cox is very much focused on the inner struggle that happens prior to that commitment. The song is about the tension between doubting the relationship and the conviction that you have found something good. It’s that very tension which gives the piece its emotional content as the doubt slowly gives way to certainty. Burning the boat is a potent metaphor for the removal of the possibility of going back, turning an internal decision into a very tangible image of the ‘no looking back’ aspect of the song.
“Burn The Boat” is a reflective track with a production that’s very much rooted in live instrumentation and has a very distinct 80s feel. There’s a strong alt-pop drive in the rhythm and the melodies are quite soaring. The use of real instruments gives the track a real warmth and an organic feel. It’s a production that allows the song to tell its story in a very effective way without ever compromising its modern pop sensibility. The instrumentation also provides a real sense of progression.
Made during the all women songwriting retreat on Jersey, “Burn The Boat” is a collaboration between Cox’s writing and the input of producer Kaja Riedle and composer Eloise Weeks. The demo was recorded at the retreat and the final recording was then done in a London studio. It’s a song that’s built around a very familiar moment in a relationship (the moment you decide to trust what you have rather than keep the option of escape open). It’s a song about commitment as a choice, a choice made in the face of doubt, a choice made in the face of belief and a choice to stay.
