Boyish Charm
Reaching For Love EP
**and1/2 out of *****
(While Jazzfest starts tomorrow, and RtBE thinks it is the best festival in the country, New Orleans is more than tuba's and second lines. As the fest arrives we wanted to take some time to review smaller various bandcamp finds from the city, as the town just pulsates music culture and art. This is the first.)
Boyish Charm plays with early 80's new wave textures on their newest EP Reaching For Love. The duo from New Orleans, hit all of the genres touch points with dramatic vocals, layers of keyboards/effects, digital drum fills and a weepy nostalgic sense of love lost.
"Crystal Blue" kicks things off in winning fashion as keyboards rise and fall like the tide around confident vocals all supported by a surprisingly rich bass and drum work for this genre of music. Following up is "Sun Kissed Lips" which uses digital laser like keys to off set the modern rock tendencies; you can practically see the smoke machines and neon lights coloring this track.
The album center piece is "Shimmer Me Pink" with it's Berlin inspired "Take My Breath Away" bass line, programmed drums and lyrical content. It would have been right at home in 1982 yet it isn't as strong as the album eyeopeners dragging a bit while "Your Hand" is more experimental containing choppy textures moving from ominous to sweet in lyrics and sounds as the keyboards amp up the feedback to keep the horror lurking underneath. Album closer "Sledgehammered by Desire" wrestles with that pretty/ugly motif as well as but in more questioning ways, using chimes and layered guitar work to shine through.
Comparisons can be made to any of the new wave early 80's artists like Morrisey, Depeche Mode, all are mined for inspiration and any fan of the genre will find things to enjoy on this EP from the New Orleans duo. Boyish Charm look backward to that shimmering early 80's sound while making music through the wires of today.
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