Whether you’re getting over a bad break up or just need to expel your inner teen angst, chances are you want to hear from Boyfrndz. The Austin-based prog-psych rock quartet (Scott Martin, Aaron Perez, Joseph Raines and Ben Livingston) has an affinity for bridging reverb-heavy verses with muddy, distorted guitar choruses through consistently delivered falsetto vocals. Where a Boyfrndz track starts is rarely an indicator of where it will end sonically, evident not only in their energetic live performances but in the nuances of their studio recordings as well.
Found towards the tail-end of Impulse, the third full-length album by Boyfrndz, “Gone” starts off sounding like a nightmare version of easy-listening and quickly amplifies into a beast that needs head-banging to thrive. The final sustained chord lifts you to a place just above somber–and the lingering effect leaves you wanting much more.
Boyfrndz’s latest album Impulse is available for download on Bandcamp.
– Jack Anderson