Sweden's Boys, featuring Nora Karlsson from the excellent Holy, are set to drop a new EP next Friday. Called Love On Tour it is, like the previous releases from this band, on the excellent PNKSLM label. And I urge you, like the other releases on that label, to get it as soon as you can.
Not too very long ago I brought you word of the first track, "Happy Hour" with its percolating and rolling Broadcast-style riffage, but what of the other 3 cuts on this release? "All My Friends" manages to marry the styles of The Velvet Underground and Lesley Gore more perfectly than perhaps anyone since the Reid brothers first picked up guitars, turned their backs on us, and plugged in, while "In My Mind" revs up like The Primitives being remixed by Kevin Shields. I name-drop those pioneers of shoegaze but -- make no mistake -- the music made by Boys is entirely more focused, concise, and tighter than 90% of that Nineties genre. The melodies are strong and the sonic adventurism going on around them is truly wonderful. I'm only lacking other genres to compare this to.
The Love On Tour EP closes with "Seventeen" which is a bit playful compared to the previous 3 songs, Nora's vocals sounding positively youthful here as the melody ambles all about her. Equally trippy and summer-y, it's another blast of meloic sugar from the superb Boys.
Love On Tour by Boys is out on Friday, May 20, via PNKSLM. Follow Boys via the band's official Facebook page.