U.K. fuzz pop royalty
Boyracer cruised through the '90s and early 2000s making new music at a frenzied clip, releasing enough 7"s, albums, and EPs to make them one of the most prolific indie pop bands of their kind. Output slowed considerably after the late 2000s, but in 2020,
Boyracer shared their 13th full-length album, On a Promise, sounding every bit as explosive, urgent, and melodically inventive as they did almost 30 years earlier. Wasting no time, 14th album
Assuaged comes just over a year after On a Promise, and continues the energetic excitement of both the record that came before it and the best of
Boyracer's massive discography. Vocalist Christina Riley made her debut on the previous LP, and again plays a huge role in the songs on
Assuaged. Album opener "Stuck with You" reshapes the iconic opening melodic phrase of
the Crystals' "Then He Kissed Me" into wiry punk riffing, and Riley's vocals lead the song. In classic
Boyracer style, the track zips through jittery verses, layers of guitars, and unexpected structural twists all in less than 90 seconds. "Tommy McNeil" leans into a bouncy mod-pop influence, while "Digital Friends" implements buzzing fuzz bass, gnawing vocal harmonies, and deranged surf guitar leads to deliver its searing critique of social media as a hollow, false representation of life. There's a wistfulness that runs through
Boyracer founder and mainstay Stewart Anderson's songwriting on
Assuaged's best moments. The excellent "Bulletproof" ambles through a chord progression that's equally thoughtful and shrill, with Anderson reflecting back on regrets and growth with the help of tight, anxious rhythms, and searching melodies. "Scapegoats and Martyrs" is similar, with his restless sentiments swimming through upbeat handclaps and guitar stabs. Much of
Assuaged is affable and uneasy at the same time, striving to find balance as the songs speed along. In addition to the enhanced mod tendencies, the album feels jagged and contemplative in a way that other
Boyracer outings haven't, suggesting that despite spending decades developing a sound and style all their own, the band are anything but set in their ways.
Assuaged stands as another vibrant chapter in the ongoing evolution of one of the world's best and most enduring indie pop bands. ~ Fred Thomas