When I think of Midwest emo, my go to band that comes to mind isn’t one most often guessed. Having realized they’ve somewhat solemnly been heard of, possibly because their first two releases came out in the mid 90s, Boys Life is the stepping stone for what would become an obsessive Midwest emo journey of a phase for myself. It all started last summer, when I listened to Departures and Landfalls from a to z. As the tracks slightly and elaborately play into the next song, they take you on a pedal wave of rapid highs and lows, way past their time.
Smugly thinking what a hidden gem I had found, flash forward to 2024 and I was shocked to see the boys are in fact making a come back but with even heavier progression we were yearning to dig deeper into on the first two albums. Given this time in between, their music has shifted dynamically and ventured into an authentic sound of its own. A prominent trait of their new and old tracks released is the lingering display of soft spoken melodies turned to quick, angry, thrashing realities. One thing remains – long, drawn out intros that tease your way into the songs, carry over an incessant message of betrayal and angst we all know too well. This ultimately leads to a satisfying realm of isolation and self deprivation that only we, the listeners, can truly appreciate at its finest. Think Cut by Low, and you might pickup on these vibes.
Cloud+47, a re-release from their 1995 debut, takes you through this. With less words said and so much more felt, it thrust me back into the vibes of my first time listening. It plants the seed Boys Life have sown for a trip down memory lane in their new tracks they’ve been coyly releasing one by one, with the same hot to cold tempos that keep you on edge your entire listen.
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