Jeremy Aaron
03/19/09, 12:46 PM
The Boy Least Likely To - The Law of the Playground
Record Label: Too Young to Die/+1 Records
Release Date: March 17, 2009
Who?
The Boy Least Likely To are an indie-pop duo from Wendover, England. The Law of the Playground is their second full-length release, following 2005's The Best Party Ever (which saw a 2006 release stateside).
How is it?
If you have an ounce of good-natured spirit in you at all, the Boy Least Likely To is the type of band that you have to try hard not to like. There's not a ragged edge to be found in their amiable baroque-pop style and the sound of their music alone, which is accented with cheery strings and horns, is enough to conjure up images of blue-sky days and fields of flowers and butterflies. Their lyrics, too, reflect a warm-and-fuzzy attitude that seems to be marked by a sense of eternal optimism.
More curmudgeonly types might write this album off as being self-parodying, an attempt simply to make the cutest possible record, regardless of how ridiculous it ends up being. After all, it's true that they do actually sing about butterflies and have a song titled "The Fairytale Ending." Plus, singer Jof Owen, who could be compared to a much less beleaguered Elliott Smith, sounds nothing short of completely content throughout the record. Upon closer inspection, though, there is some depth to be found lying beneath the album's breezy veneer.
On "A Balloon With a Broken String," Owen laments being "sad and alone," but simultaneously compares his freedom to "floating away on summer breeze." As listeners, we're frequently overrun with lyrics catastrophizing life's little ups-and-downs, so it's refreshing and uplifting to hear an artist who can recognize the dichotomy of a situation and put the emphasis on the good. Similar sentiment can be found on the (admittedly cliched) "When Life Hands Me Lemons, I Make Lemonade." It's ironic that The Law of the Playground emits the carefree, childlike aura suggested in its title, as well as the wisdom to accept life's challenges for what they are and roll with the punches.
Without question, there are occasions when most of us need a good downer record to wallow in our own misery, and Owen's happy-go-lucky lyrics and multi-instrumentalist Pete Hobbs' sprightly compositions would be of no help in such situations. It's either a world they don't understand, or at least one they're not into writing about. However, for a bright and sunny March day, The Law of the Playground is sure to put some spring in your step.
The Shins' Oh, Inverted World!
The Decemberists' Picaresque
Noah and the Whale's Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down
The Helio Sequence's Love and Distance
Peter Bjorn and John's Writer's Block
Check out the Boy Least Likely To on Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/theboyleastlikelytouk).
Record Label: Too Young to Die/+1 Records
Release Date: March 17, 2009
Who?
The Boy Least Likely To are an indie-pop duo from Wendover, England. The Law of the Playground is their second full-length release, following 2005's The Best Party Ever (which saw a 2006 release stateside).
How is it?
If you have an ounce of good-natured spirit in you at all, the Boy Least Likely To is the type of band that you have to try hard not to like. There's not a ragged edge to be found in their amiable baroque-pop style and the sound of their music alone, which is accented with cheery strings and horns, is enough to conjure up images of blue-sky days and fields of flowers and butterflies. Their lyrics, too, reflect a warm-and-fuzzy attitude that seems to be marked by a sense of eternal optimism.
More curmudgeonly types might write this album off as being self-parodying, an attempt simply to make the cutest possible record, regardless of how ridiculous it ends up being. After all, it's true that they do actually sing about butterflies and have a song titled "The Fairytale Ending." Plus, singer Jof Owen, who could be compared to a much less beleaguered Elliott Smith, sounds nothing short of completely content throughout the record. Upon closer inspection, though, there is some depth to be found lying beneath the album's breezy veneer.
On "A Balloon With a Broken String," Owen laments being "sad and alone," but simultaneously compares his freedom to "floating away on summer breeze." As listeners, we're frequently overrun with lyrics catastrophizing life's little ups-and-downs, so it's refreshing and uplifting to hear an artist who can recognize the dichotomy of a situation and put the emphasis on the good. Similar sentiment can be found on the (admittedly cliched) "When Life Hands Me Lemons, I Make Lemonade." It's ironic that The Law of the Playground emits the carefree, childlike aura suggested in its title, as well as the wisdom to accept life's challenges for what they are and roll with the punches.
Without question, there are occasions when most of us need a good downer record to wallow in our own misery, and Owen's happy-go-lucky lyrics and multi-instrumentalist Pete Hobbs' sprightly compositions would be of no help in such situations. It's either a world they don't understand, or at least one they're not into writing about. However, for a bright and sunny March day, The Law of the Playground is sure to put some spring in your step.
The Shins' Oh, Inverted World!
The Decemberists' Picaresque
Noah and the Whale's Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down
The Helio Sequence's Love and Distance
Peter Bjorn and John's Writer's Block
Check out the Boy Least Likely To on Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/theboyleastlikelytouk).