A run of collaborative shows at the Tranzac in the summer of 2008 with local guest-vocalist luminaries Sandro Perri, Mantler, Andre Ethier, Emilie Mover, Alex Lukashevsky and Andy Swan helped establish Steamboat's reputation as one of the most unlikely regular favourites in the venerated club's programming. Started as a project for bassist/keyboardist Matt McLaren to keep himself and bandmates busy during downtime from their regular gig with pop classicists The Old Soul, Steamboat have bypassed current trends and stuck to an R'n'B vibe best summed up by the material they proudly cover in live shows (Lee Dorsey, Allen Toussaint, The Kinks, and The Parliaments, whose early B-side "I Can Feel The Ice Melting" is included on this 6-track EP). McLaren, a traditionalist with a powerful voice and a deep well of inspiration, possesses a distinct songwriting style that reaches beyond the Dr. John/Randy Newman template. The originals here are instant classics, and the good news is that there are a whole bunch more excellent tunes to come with future EPs.