Boyfrndz, “All Day Pass”
review by DZ
Since the inception of prog-rock, adventurous artists have been going to great lengths in an attempt to synthesize the perfect technical rock elixir. This alchemical tradition very well started in the late 60’s with bands like Yes and King Crimson and has continued to this day. At some point, punk rock hit and changed everything giving birth eventually to math rock. Pioneers like Slint, Rob Crow, A Minor Forest, June of 44, Don Caballero, Drive Like Jehu, and more recently, Hella – just to name a few – started paving the way for a whole new generation of hermetic tinkerers in search of that divine synthesis of math-technicality, punk-ferocity, and pop-accessibility. Whereas some of their predecessors, like Rodan, and The Shipping News used vocals almost purely as a rhythmic element, newer bands like Caddywhompus, Maps & Atlases, and Boyfrndz extend the tradition by using melodic vocal themes, effectively bridging the gap between composition and song. Granted though Rob Crow among others has stepped nobly up to this challenge with varying degrees of success, I feel that melodic-vocal adorned math rock may have had to percolate in the collective subconscious long enough for the disparate flavors to fully hybridize. With their sophomore album “All Day Pass,” I think Boyfrndz have hit upon something that will satisfy a wide range of listeners who appreciate eclectic influences and want to rock the f’ out. This album is a blistering display of energetic fuck-all abandon held together by technical prowess (especially the drums) and a modern indie sense of melody ala Band of Horses, Fleet Foxes, The Shins, or Animal Collective and with a good dose of reverb for the psychedelic-inclined. Although a tad prog at times, I’m enjoying this album very much so far and am looking forward to enjoying it a lot more – possibly for a long time. Also, I’m sure these guys would be great live. Seven cheers for Boyfrndz and bands like them for keeping the alchemical pursuit going.
LINKS:
boyfrndz.tumblr.com
boyfrndz.bandcamp.com
facebook.com/boyfrndz