Boy With Strings – Play Pretend

Quiet, downtempo stuff

Tom: Occasionally, we’ll get a track suggestion in from someone who’s blatantly trying to “astroturf” — to create a fake grassroots movement, and to promote a track while pretending they’re not involved.

Not this time: in the box asking for their thoughts on the track, Saara writes “well, I wrote the lyrics and my friend who sings it is fabulous. So I am a bit biased but I think it is awesome”.

Now, to manage your expectations: “cold and cool, with looped violins” is the shtick. This is quiet, downtempo stuff here, so Saara may well have misjudged who to send this to.

Tom: Because all I can think is, that’s one hell of an introduction. Don’t get me wrong, I understand that FULL-ON PERCUSSION ain’t the aim here, but it gave me the feeling of experiencing the beginning of a track without the end.

Tim: I spent the first two and half minutes of song worried that I’d not be able to describe it as anything other than ‘remarkably dull’, because my word I couldn’t really have been interested if I’d put every bit of energy I had into it. The pause where you think something’s about to drop, and then absolutely nothing doe? That’s just cruel. Two minutes twenty-six, though, and it picks up, slightly.

Tom: There are some lovely moments in here: the multitracked “make-up” and “shake-up” in the first verse are wonderful, and the last minute or so is gorgeous. But our ears are trained for CLUB BANGERS and DROPS, Tim; I’m left wanting a kick-in that never actually arrives.

Tim: Right – the later part with the deep vocals and heavier strings is alright, and typing whilst listening to that part I’m currently finding quite enjoyable. The first part, though, I just found tedious.

Tom: But that said: my word, this is some gorgeously produced, ethereal indie-pop here. If that’s what you’re looking for, you could do a lot worse.