- Release Info -------------------------------------------------------------- -
Artist: The Boy Least Likely To
Album: The Law Of The Playground
Label: +1
Playtime: 45:54 min
Genre: Indie
URL:
Rip date: 2009-03-31
Street date: 2009-03-03
Size: 65.54 MB
Type: Normal
Quality: 188 kbps / 4410kHz / Joint Stereo
- Release Notes ------------------------------------------------------------- -
Just as MGMT's music lodged itself firmly in the public consciousness long
before anyone knew their name, The Boy Least Likely To's unique brand of
cheerful toetappery has, courtesy of numerous soundtracks and adverts,
covertly been creeping its way into the minds of the nation since as far back
as 2003. And as the Wendover duo return with their second album The Law of
the Playground, it may well be their time to step fully into the limelight.
Seamlessly picking up where debut The Best Party Ever left off, this truly is
music to illuminate the wintry black hearts of even the most contemptuous of
critics. The marriage of novel compositions and unashamed cuteness is very
much still alive, and if possible, boasting even more of an endearingly human
quality than before.
With previous calling-card anthem Be Gentle With Me now synonymous with any
number of products, it's fortunate that The Law Of The Playground comes
equipped with a mezze of potential successors, one likely contender being the
polite middle-finger anthem of Every Goliath Has Its David. Even its
roundabout reference to Scrappy Doo û the worst idea in the history of
animation û can't detract from the buoyancy and charm on display. And
frankly, when something that extraneous provides the most negative facet of
an album, it's safe to say you're onto a winner.
The candyfloss country of opener Saddle Up sets the tone for a jovial,
optimistic hoedown through 12 further bursts of delightfully zany yet
refreshingly sincere indie-pop. A blend of Bakersfield sensibilities and
quaint Englishness, it's hard to imagine another artist even attempting to
emulate a sound so unique.
That's not to say The Law Of The Playground stops at functioning as a day-glo
merry-go-round. Hidden not too discreetly beneath the initial demonstrations
of bijou delight lies a depth and a darkness in the form of Jof Owen's
childhood tales, recounted with a mix of candour and innocence.
And yet, these occasional forays into bleaker subject matter inadvertently
reveal an admirable resilience û this pooled with the fact that they're
swathed in Pete Hobbs' uplifting, pop-heavy milieu also gives the listener
the option to simply enjoy The Law Of The Playground for what it is on the
surface.
Whichever way you choose to understand it, there's no contesting the quality
and the pluckiness presented here. And while The Boy Least Likely To may be
far too saccharine for many an aural palate, it's hard to imagine their music
not raising an involuntary smile in even the most aloof individual. If
sunshine could be converted into MP3 format, The Law of the Playground is a
pretty close approximation as to how it would sound.
- Track List ---------------------------------------------------------------- -
01. Saddle Up ( 2:50)
02. A Balloon On A Broken String ( 3:54)
03. When Life Gives Me Melons I Make Lemonade ( 3:42)
04. I Box Up All The Butterflies ( 3:32)
05. The Boy With Two Hearts ( 3:32)
06. Stringing Up Conkers ( 1:48)
07. The Boy Least Like To Is A Machine ( 4:04)
08. Whiskers ( 4:33)
09. Every Goliath Has Its David ( 4:08)
10. The Nature Of The Boy Least Likely To ( 3:31)
11. I Keep Myself To Myself ( 3:24)
12. The Worm Forgives The Plough ( 3:13)
13. A Fairytale Ending ( 3:43)
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