Boy Harsher – Careful (CD Album – Nude Club Records)
Genre/Influences: Electro-pop, electroclash, minimal-pop.
Background/Info: Jae Matthews and Augustus Muller set up Boy Harsher in 2014. They released several EP’s and a debut album (cf. “Yr Body Is Nothing”) in 2016. They this year unleashed the new full length “Careful” featuring ten songs and available in all formats (digital, CD, vinyl and cassette).
Content: If you don’t know Boy Harsher and you’re into retro electro-pop music with a strong 80s influence, this is definitely an interesting duo to discover. The band’s influences are clearly getting back to the 80s electro-pop and cold-wave electronics. The songs have been spiced with some extra little elements such as an EM bass line on one song and a harder kick on another one. One of the band’s main characteristics remains Jae’s timbre of voice. She has a kind of androgenic way of singing, which will appeal to fans of Mr. Kitty.
+ + + : This is not a stereo-typical electro-pop release, but a work mixing different elements and especially vintage influences together. It sounds minimal-like, extremely evasive and yet featuring a few harder club-tracks. The sensuality of the vocals has something sterile and yet creating a part of this duo’s sound and spirit. If you’re into retro-electronics, you better watch out for “LA” while the harder “Come Closer” is carried by a superb EBM-like bass line. In the ‘harder’ genre I also recommend “Tears” which is also featuring a solid bass line.
– – – : I can’t say that there’s one single song to throw away although the more experimental “Crush” is probably the single deception from the work.
Conclusion: Boy Harsher injects a fresh breeze by retro elements in the stagnating electro-pop genre.
Best songs: “Come Closer”, “LA”, “Tears”, “Face The Fire”.
Rate: (8½).
Artist: www.boyharsher.com / www.facebook.com/boyharsher
Label: www.nuderecordlabel.com / www.facebook.com/Nude–Records-557806830992252
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