Billy Da Mute
08/06/08, 04:04 PM
Boys Night Out - Make Yourself Sick
Record Label: Ferret Music
Release Date: September 23, 2003
Back in the early 00’s, when combining hardcore-influenced-screaming with pop punk riffs was still somewhat a new concept/genre/whatever you will, Boys Night Out burst onto the scene, crossing the borders from Canada and bringing with them a uniquely catchy style of music. Prior to their debut on Ferret Records with Make Yourself Sick, they had released an EP entitled Broken Bones and Bloody Kisses, which got them noticed by bigger labels and touring more and more with well known bands. Make Yourself Sick was a hit in the face, filled with tongue in cheek lyrics, some pretty legitimate hardcore vocals, some snazzy song titles, and constantly changing riffs that manage to get stuck in your head, making this one trip that you didn’t know was over until their was silence in your headphones.
As Make Yourself Sick opens with the contagiously catchy tune named “I Got Punched in the Face for Sticking My Nose in Other People's Business”, vocalist Connor Lovat proclaims “I hate being famous for my hits / And never for my misses / Bloody kisses from poison lips / Leaves lovers dead in ditches.” The raw sounding screams and static vocals seem to make the song more entertaining then if it was better produced, and as the song comes to more then halfway over, the catchy, hand-clapping filled chorus of, "Drag my corpse through the city / I never got to visit / Promise don’t let me miss it," had me tapping along. Following immediately after, “(Just Once) Lets Do Something Different,” “The First Time It Shouldn’t Taste Like Blood,” and” It’s Dylan, You Know the Drill” keep a fast paced, fun time. As the slower “Hold on Tightly, Let Go Lightly,” opens up, slow guitar riffs and dark, yet clever lyrics mix with some backing screaming make it a nice change up of pace.
As the second half of the album rolls around, some standouts include “The Subtitles That Make Mass Murderers Out of Otherwise Decent People,” “I was the Devil for One Afternoon,” and the seven-minute closing song “Yeah. No… I Know…” The CD ends very nicely, with fading screams, and a craving for more, until you pick up their amazing sophomore CD, also a pretty ballin’ concept album, Trainwreck. As I mentioned above, Boys Night Out manage to not only play and sing pop punk vocals and riffs quite well, but when Lovat wants to scream, the dude can scream pretty well. This is a CD that’s fun to listen to every now and again, to listen to some raw, quality, fun sounding stuff, and maybe just for old time sake, before everything started to seem to sound the same.
Make Yourself Sick definitely was a promising step for these guys from up north to make an impact in the music scene, and even today I can go back and take this record for a spin and still have a good time listening to it. Boys Night Out grow with each album, and they’re a blast to see live. If you think you need something new to listen to, or want to give a band a shot you may have ignored, pick Trainwreck up, then move onto this. The raw, unpolished sound may turn some off, but it is worthy of being in any collection.
From Autumn to Ashes, Funeral for a Friend, A Static Lullaby, The Receiving End of Sirens
myspace.com/boysnightout (http://www.myspace.com/boysnightout)
Record Label: Ferret Music
Release Date: September 23, 2003
Back in the early 00’s, when combining hardcore-influenced-screaming with pop punk riffs was still somewhat a new concept/genre/whatever you will, Boys Night Out burst onto the scene, crossing the borders from Canada and bringing with them a uniquely catchy style of music. Prior to their debut on Ferret Records with Make Yourself Sick, they had released an EP entitled Broken Bones and Bloody Kisses, which got them noticed by bigger labels and touring more and more with well known bands. Make Yourself Sick was a hit in the face, filled with tongue in cheek lyrics, some pretty legitimate hardcore vocals, some snazzy song titles, and constantly changing riffs that manage to get stuck in your head, making this one trip that you didn’t know was over until their was silence in your headphones.
As Make Yourself Sick opens with the contagiously catchy tune named “I Got Punched in the Face for Sticking My Nose in Other People's Business”, vocalist Connor Lovat proclaims “I hate being famous for my hits / And never for my misses / Bloody kisses from poison lips / Leaves lovers dead in ditches.” The raw sounding screams and static vocals seem to make the song more entertaining then if it was better produced, and as the song comes to more then halfway over, the catchy, hand-clapping filled chorus of, "Drag my corpse through the city / I never got to visit / Promise don’t let me miss it," had me tapping along. Following immediately after, “(Just Once) Lets Do Something Different,” “The First Time It Shouldn’t Taste Like Blood,” and” It’s Dylan, You Know the Drill” keep a fast paced, fun time. As the slower “Hold on Tightly, Let Go Lightly,” opens up, slow guitar riffs and dark, yet clever lyrics mix with some backing screaming make it a nice change up of pace.
As the second half of the album rolls around, some standouts include “The Subtitles That Make Mass Murderers Out of Otherwise Decent People,” “I was the Devil for One Afternoon,” and the seven-minute closing song “Yeah. No… I Know…” The CD ends very nicely, with fading screams, and a craving for more, until you pick up their amazing sophomore CD, also a pretty ballin’ concept album, Trainwreck. As I mentioned above, Boys Night Out manage to not only play and sing pop punk vocals and riffs quite well, but when Lovat wants to scream, the dude can scream pretty well. This is a CD that’s fun to listen to every now and again, to listen to some raw, quality, fun sounding stuff, and maybe just for old time sake, before everything started to seem to sound the same.
Make Yourself Sick definitely was a promising step for these guys from up north to make an impact in the music scene, and even today I can go back and take this record for a spin and still have a good time listening to it. Boys Night Out grow with each album, and they’re a blast to see live. If you think you need something new to listen to, or want to give a band a shot you may have ignored, pick Trainwreck up, then move onto this. The raw, unpolished sound may turn some off, but it is worthy of being in any collection.
From Autumn to Ashes, Funeral for a Friend, A Static Lullaby, The Receiving End of Sirens
myspace.com/boysnightout (http://www.myspace.com/boysnightout)