live review ~ boys ~ the monarch, camden // encore introducing

Whilst venturing through the streets of London's famous Camden Town, the unmistakable twang of an electric guitar in full flight was enough to pull me, like a magnetic field, into The Monarch, where here I found electronic-pop weavers BOYS. Taking the art of the three piece down a peculiar, synth drenched side road, I entered this gig with cautious optimism...

West London's 'BOYS' are a curious mismatch of poetic ambiance. Throughout their set they sway with sonic instability, yet that doesn't seem to matter as each song progresses. In fact, it adds to their charm. In Ross Pearce they have a front man who hasn't quite developed his full on stage persona, but clearly has a vision of where he wants to go. Stalking the stage like a young Ian Brown, Pearce maintains a Manc flair through the nonchalant gaze of a Londoner stranded during a morning tube strike. While sitting on the floor with your back to the audience may not seem like a great idea on paper, here it pays dividends, adding an intriguing quirk to compliment their sound. Elsewhere, lead guitarist Mike Stothard's riffs run through their songs beautifully, never settling for less than hypnotic, particularly on newer songs. It was a difficult gig, to a less than appreciative crowd, but somewhere amongst the technical malfunctions lies a band of real potential.

In truth, BOYS sound like Blur during a heroic acid trip, which is by no means a bad thing.

Taylor Johnson

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