Using bright guitars, saxophones, and even trumpets, Boys and Frogs make indie pop that brings that little smile into the spotlight. The tinkling pianos on top of a stringed low end doesn’t hurt, either.
The lyrics complete the melancholy feeling. On “O Here We’re Tangled,” the lead singer implores “Oh, won’t you stay a little longer?” “Every Daughter’s Dance” begins with “Dig up your dad every time you pull your hand away.”
If I had to compare Boys and Frogs to another band, it would have to be a nascent Man Man. They’ve begun experimenting with instrumentation, but have yet to go batshit. They seem to be reaching the point some creative types hit at one point or another, where they get the smirk. The one that means “Why the hell not? We’re good. We can pull it off.” And they’re right.
In Desperate Need of a Car Crash reminds me of that feeling I first felt the day before school started. “Well, shit. The summer’s over, but it was a great few months, wasn’t it?”
Melancholy isn’t all bad.
Boys and Frogs understand this. The songs on their new EP, In Desperate Need of a Car Crash, is a study of the sweet pangs that go along with melancholy. Sure, there’s sadness, but there’s always that little smile that goes along with remembering things that are gone.
