Broken Bones and Bloody Kisses,
Boys Night OutBoys Night Out's last record on Ferret was one of last year's sleeper hits. It took a while, but as word spread about the band and how good the record was, people started to take notice. 2004 will see more of the same and a couple of high profile tours and a bit of webzine hype will see the Canadians rightly tighten their grip as one of the best up-and-coming bands around. Not bad at all for a band who were discovered by the Ferret Records boss after he downloaded an MP3. Anyway, while most bands seem to continue to peddle out their post-hardcore wares, Boys Night Out are starting to forge their own sound. Mixing graphic and violent lyrics, which are as bloody as they are blinding, BNO scream and hack their way across a skate-punk soundtrack that throws in some harsher bits from time to time. 'Broken Bones and Bloody Kisses' doesn't quite live up to the album that followed, but it sets the scene of what was to come.
A rival website described this record as 'Saves The Day meets Glasseater', a fair description of the music but not so much of BNO as a whole. Without being entirely inventive or original the quintet manage to make themselves interesting enough to be different from the myriad of wannabes. Sure, The Misfits sang about murdering people a long time before BNO did, but there's something refreshing going on here. Rip apart the 'screamo' (and I say that with my teeth gnashing) exterior and there's a band with their own identity sitting snugly underneath. This EP shows there is plenty to the band, even if it did take the full-length before their own identity completely same out. 'Where We Breathe' is bloody and violent, yet maintains a solid sense of melody underneath all the distorted guitars and clattering drums, while the more abstract 'A Torrid Love Affair' hints at what was to come on the album.
If you liked the album then you will enjoy this EP. It isn't as good and is a little more generic, but then debut records very rarely hit the spot straight away. Boys Night Out literally put the feelers out on this record, thoughtfully fumbling around for a sound they could call their own. 'Make Yourself Sick' did that, ensuring this record did all the dirty work. Old-school fans of the band claim this is a better effort, with less production and melody, but either way it is an record worthy of your attention.
www.boysnightout.net
One Day Saviour Records
Paul
