While masterminded by Mat Klachefsky, who writes and sings all the songs, Boats is actually five-piece band, and on A Fairway Full Of Miners, they sound much more like a cohesive band than a collection of musicians supporting a single leader. This makes their third full-length effort a much tighter album and definitely their most accessible. Absurd is still the word for Boats with titles like “Advice On Bioluminescent Bears,” “O Jumbotron,” and “The Noodle Mountain.” The lyrics are suitably incongruent and abstract, though never sinking to insipid, “O mighty cuplink pincher, o frothy eater of sandwiches.” Klachefsky’ high nasal, almost cartoon-like vocals (think Geddy Lee or Neil Young, but brighter in tone) can be a bit challenging, as can the seemingly random bloops, bleeps, plinks and glitches. Ultimately, the underlying bedrock of light melodies and uptempo happy beats make A Fairway Full Of Miners a fun experience. The words don’t need to make sense to lighten your mood. The album artwork, by Meredith Holigroski, deserves mention, as it wonderfully mimics one of the original installations from the Winnipeg Airport. (Kill Rock Stars, yeahboats.com) Broose Tulloch