Boys Night Out - Boys Night Out

[Drew Beringer]

Boys Night Out - Boys Night Out
Release Date: June 26, 2007
Record Label: Ferret Records

How do you follow up a concept album about a man losing his sanity and going on a killing rampage? Why, you write an album about drinking, suffering, and despair! At least that’s what Boys Night Out did with their third album on Ferret Records. The self-titled album follows up the band’s 2005 moderately successful concept album, Trainwreck, and it takes parts from that album and 2003’s Make Yourself Sick to piece together Boys Night Out. This album features the addition of guitarist Andy Lewis, the departure of Kara Dupuy, who played the synth and sang on Trainwreck, and the return of original drummer Ben Arseneau. What we find on these eleven Lou Giornado-produced tracks are intensity, catchiness, and repetition throughout.

The infectious “Get Your Head Straight” kicks off the record and immediately gets stuck in your head. With driving guitars and a lively bass line courtesy of Dave Costa, the song is a strong album opener. “Swift And Unforgiving” is equally catchy, as Arseneau drum skills shine on the track. But while both tracks are cool musically, they suffer lyrically, thanks to repetition of one-liners (the cliché “loose lips sinks ships” line doesn’t help “Swift” either). “Up With Me” is the first single and it’s a moody track that features anxious vocals from Connor Lovat-Fraser. “The Heirs Of Error” is bound to be a crowd favorite, with in-your-face verses and the gang vocals shouting “We will rebuild!,” it’ll be an instant live staple.

Group vocals are also present in “Let Me Be Your Swear Word” and “Hey, Thanks,” but “Fall For The Drinker” takes the cake. My favorite song on the track, it begins with dark undertones throughout the first verse as Lovat-Fraser wearily sings about raising your glass. The chorus of “We’re all here now/tonight to hell with everything else/we’ll drink hard/and we’ll drink to ourselves” is echoed out by the entire band and is just begging for my friends and I to drunkenly sing along. “Apartment” is one of the stronger, well-rounded tracks, while “Reason Ain’t Our Real Song” is a hard-hitting, fast-paced track that’ll definitely remind you of Make Yourself Sick.

Personally, I don’t think Boys Night Out will ever top Trainwreck, the creativity and the construction of the album are damn great, and it would be hard for many bands in the scene to follow up an album like that. Boys Night Out is a valiant follow-up, but there are still glaring flaws, such as the constant repetition of lines in the majority of songs. I’m also not a fan of Lou Giornado producing this record, although he didn’t botch this record like he did with Sherwood, I still think BNO would have been better suited with Machine again or even Brian McTernan. What they lack in lyrics and production though, they make up with good musicianship and songs that are equally intense and catchy. Is this album going to be as memorable as Trainwreck? Probably not, but that’s rather a testament to Trainwreck than a discredit to Boys Night Out. Regardless, it’s still fun as hell to blast this album in my car and shout along to while driving 80 on the highway.

Track Listing:
1. Get Your Head Straight
2. Swift And Unforgiving
3. The Push And Pull
4. Up With Me
5. The Heirs Of Error
6. Let Me Be Your Swear Word
7. Hey, Thanks
8. Fall To The Drinker
9. Apartment
10. Reason Ain’t Our Long Suit
11. It Won’t Be Long
Produced by Lou Giornado

Boys Night Out are:
Connor Lovat-Fraser - Lead Vocals
Jeff Davis - Guitar/Vocals
Andy Lewis – Guitar
Dave Costa – Bass
Ben Arseneau - Drums
Official Website (http://www.boysnightout.com); Official Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/boysnightout); Latest Boys Night Out news (http://www.absolutepunk.net/news.php?f=165&pp=30&page=1&picon=222)

[12:46AM]

i never really listened to this band after i saw them live.

[POP-PUNK KING]

the push and pull shud easily hav been the first single.catchy as hell. i agree with drew tho - 'fall for the drinker' is a seriously awesome song. gang vocals rule!

[xjustinx]

Wasn't impressed =\

[tm decomposer]

It catchy at times, but meh. Trainwreck was awesome. Nice Review Drew

[triggerthesound]

i was hooked on this for a little while
still a good listen

[dannyrobes]

If Trainwreck wasn't such a masterpiece (or never existed), I would consider this a great effort from Boys Night Out. It's still a really good album, it's just nowhere near what Trainwreck was.

[yoyoninjagirl]

good review. I agree, I don't think Boys Night Out will ever top Trainwreck, but this album is quite good.

[turbonium]

i was hooked on this for a little while
still a good listen

same here.
its pretty decent.
my favorite song would be the first track, which is about not doing drugs, interestingly enough.

[RomeoAGoGo]

it's decent :shrug:

[Bury Your Head]

I'm picking this bad boy up today at best buy.

You get the best prices there for the 1st week release.


I'm sure it isn't on the creative peak trainwreck was but I'm sure this is just as fun and catchy to listen to.
Good review.

[tonighttonight0]

they'll never top Trainwreck...but it's a good record
good review

[midnightsociety]

decent album overall--nice review though.

[rated]

i got this album a while ago and can only stand to listen to two songs =/

[Fades2Black]

I assumed they'd progress from Trainwreck, not degress. Kinda dissapointed in the new shit im not gona lie, but at least it still has that BNO catchiness

[Sargent Sausage]

This has some cacthy songs for sure but lacks the depth of trainwreck

[Mase714]

This cd destroys trainwreck. I personally loved MYS, so trainwreck's departure never really sat well with me. This I feel is a good medium, and the cd is catchy as hell.

[manican sex]

trainwreck hit me late in the game maybe this will hit me right away

[InaGreendase]

This is their "worst" album, but it's like how Vheissu is Thrice's "worst": Their older albums are just too accomplished to top, but the band still reinvent themselves really well.

[jayzt]

i thought they would put the remakes in "50 million people cant be wrong EP" in this album.. those were good..

[stefan]

i loved this cd and i think it is a good up to Trainwreck. Trainwreck was an awesome cd and so was MYS.

[LilRyan732]

It's as good as Trainwreck, just a little too poppy you know?

I thought it was about like, weed. "There's a million things to gain when you give up getting high"

[MotionIsntMeaning]

I fucking love this album. So catchy.

[Geekery]

who copy edits at AP?.....

its been said over and over, but Trainwreck was a masterpiece, so it was gonna be impossible to top, BUT, a nice effort by the boys, who will undoubtedly make this sound even better live - if you haven't been to a BNO show, drop everything and go right now to wherever they are playing - they shred

[saving jonathan]

drew don't be speedin' on the highway.

[SorryAboutThat]

i thought they would put the remakes in "50 million people cant be wrong EP" in this album.. those were good..

They did use some of these songs, but the last couple tracks were rerecordings of tracks from a while back (before their first LP?)

I like this CD a lot. It's definitely hard to match Trainwreck lyrically and conceptually, as they don't have a story to work with and relate to for the entire album. However, I think it is a lot more varied and stronger musically than Trainwreck and just as strong in that respect if not better than Make Yourself sick.

Gotta love the gang vocals. Definitely a really catchy album, we'll see what it's staying power is though...

[1000shadesofred]

i never really listened to this band after i saw them live.

exactly what happened with me as well

[mycuban]

i concur they will never be able to outdure trainwreck, its just so technical, and the production on trainwreck was just amazing

[SLADE775]

This is one of your best reviews, Drew. You finally seem to be getting reasonable with the ratings. Nice work.

[Co and Ca]

I listened to this last night. I thought it was good. They're one of my favorite bands and I can't wait to see them live next month.

[apl.Tyler]

yeah...

like most everyone here, i'm obsessed with Trainwreck... but this is a great album as well. The vocals sound better on this cd than any other that BNO has ever released although im beyond certain that the amount of auto-tuning needed was off the charts... see any BNO live show for proof of that.

but regardless, some of the tracks are really great, most are solid and a few are kinda lacking. the guitar work is a bit less technical i think, but the melodies and hooks are much better. the lyrics are good but after the last album, how can they be any better?! they are much more simple, and the story behind em isn't there. i guess, less deep in meaning would describe the cd compared to Trainwreck, but the ST is much more fun and poppy.

I'd give it an 8 outta 10

[Dr. Acula]

*yawn*

[xpolaris]

i haven't listened to this one yet, but i absolutely loved Trainwreck.

[SLADE775]

*yawn*


You are a fucking idiot.

[Big_Guy]

this is way more memorable than Trainwreck and I didn't even think that was possible


definitely a step up IMO

[andrewking]

I haven't heard this yet, but I actually found Make Yourself Sick better than Trainwreck. While the concept behind Traiwreck was great, and Medicating is the best song of their catalogue, there were just a lot more fun, bouncy and ultimately lasting tracks on their debut full-length.

Can't wait to get my hands on this disc, though.

[Dr. Acula]

You are a fucking idiot.

Hahah, nice.

[Jason Tate]

This is their "worst" album, but it's like how Vheissu is Thrice's "worst": Their older albums are just too accomplished to top, but the band still reinvent themselves really well.
Oh, how I disagree with the Thrice comments.

This may be BNO's worst CD ... but that's not really saying anything.

[POP-PUNK KING]

This cd destroys trainwreck. I personally loved MYS, so trainwreck's departure never really sat well with me. This I feel is a good medium, and the cd is catchy as hell.

exactly-its way better than trainwreck

[bummerama]

I think a few people missed the point here. Boysnightout will never release the same record twice, Trainwreck was bloody brilliant, but it is unfair to expect a record of the same dark, macabre caliber. I prefer the subject matter in Boys Night Out because it deals with who they are as people rather than talking about killing people and the like. This review was quite good and it does sum up the album nicely. I agree that the lyrics could use some fine-tuning at times, but I feel it's worth it to listen to the album for more than one day to get its full effect.

[streydogg]

great album...very well rounded...at least a 85%

up with me, apartment and fall for the drinker are amazing songs

[lezsolt]

It's definitely their worst album, but still very good. And MYS was better than Trainwreck.

[Praetor]

Good review, but am I the only one who thinks that BNO is horrendously overrated?

[Starflyer59]

not impressed by this album, definitely listen before you buy...

[helikopter]

like most everyone here, i'm obsessed with Trainwreck... but this is a great album as well. The vocals sound better on this cd than any other that BNO has ever released although im beyond certain that the amount of auto-tuning needed was off the charts... see any BNO live show for proof of that.


i don't know what you're talking about. i hear a lot of compression on the vocals, but i doubt the level of auto-tuning used compared to their early cds. i've seen boys night out in every stage of their discography since make yourself sick came out. then, totally out of tune and sloppy live, disapointing. i saw them again before trainwreck came out, and they were considerably better. i saw them after trainwreck came out, and they were much, much better. yesterday, i saw them again and they were unbelievably tight. the only downside of their live show was the new guitarists vocals. he tried to sing ahhs on one of the new songs, and was so unbelievably out of tune with the song, himself, everything. but it was only obvious because i was right in front of him. however, connor was pretty spot-on, and jeff has gotten better as well. i noticed connor uses in-ear monitors now, and i suspect that may be helping.

[milkman_332211]

Boys Night Out is an amazing band. They always have something atleast semi-original to put out. Trainwreck was a masterpiece. Make Yourself Sick was an up-beat prog/pop album. I'm prog by the way their songs were structured, not by the way they played. Broken Bones and Bloody Kisses was a rediculous metalcore esque EP. And they've reinvented themselves again into like a Dance/Prog/Pop sort of fusion. I really dig the tones on this CD. There's gang-shouts in all of their cd's. I'm not too fond on this CD but it's genius. I didn't read the review, I just read the comments and decided to reply.



Matt

[kevin_ishere]

Amazing CD, worth every penny, just as good as Trainwreck

[SenorGoat]

Solid cd but way to repetitive. Every chorus is sung like 10 times per song.

[bhsbfood]

the push and the pull is the shit!!!

[guitarhead913]

hey thanks and get your head straight ftw

[Mikey Switz]

Trainwreck is amazing. I found myself being caught off guard by this cd. Its a lot more catchy than Trainwreck was, but its missing the technicality and production that Trainwreck brought to the table. A bit of a disappointment when compared to that, but great in its own right.