Full Review: Boris Smile – Young And It Feels So Good
Boris Smile has not merely put out a new record or simply put some random songs together on an album calling it ‘Young And It Feels So Good’, but rather they have carefully and skillfully built what can only be called a time machine.
Early June always smelled of summer as school neared the end. Hot days in southern California are a dime a dozen but being free from the clutches of classes always gave them an even sweeter feeling. As the record for Boris Smile opens with the title track listing things about being young you begin to be transported back into a youthful state of mind.
“A Cruel Time In Life” dives in to the low part of most peoples life which is obviously Jr. high school. Everyone can resonate with some, if not all, of the lyrics that bring up the nostalgic memories of being harassed by parents, acne, and girl problems.
Most of the record was recorded in Wesley Chung’s living and dining room which is both impressive and also sometimes obvious. The recording quality is very tolerable but at the same time lo-fi and rough around the edges. Part of the charm and character that bubbles off of the album can be attributed to the way it was recorded and mixed, often spiking and slightly distorting. Like so many things, the recording quality may be an acquired taste (listen?) but the melodies and atmosphere that is created should be enough to make you forget about it.
Why do you like being young? The simple question or maybe complex question gets asked and answered several times during the album’s the instrumental tracks. “Birthday” and “Marco Polo” serve as flashbacks and moments to reflect on your youth.
Taking “Home”, “Goodnight Moon” and a few others from past records was the absolute right thing to do as they sound better than past versions as well as adding so much to the record. “Las Aventuras Conhetes” is a new version of “Adventures With Rockets” redone in an jazz/elevator music style that works also as well as the original.
Although the album is filled with so many great songs including “False Words and Humming Birds”, “True Colors” and “Keep It Safe”, there are some that just fall short. Both “Seasons”, and “Beartooth” have a heavy (read: distorted) feel that just don’t grove like the other stuff on the album.
There are two things that I hope for Boris Smile. The first being exposure to a wider audience so that they can continue to keep doing what they are so good at. The second thing is I hope the band never loses the innocence that is laced throughout every single track.
Seasons begin to change faster than we usually expect them to. From being young to being old has probably come much quicker than we would have liked it to but ‘Young And It Feels So Good’ is a chance to cling to past through honest melodies.
Track Listing
1. Young and It Feels So Good
2. Seasons
3. A Cruel Time In Life
4. Leper King
5. False Words and Hummingbirds
6. Birthday
7. Home [Sing Along]
8. Keep It Safe
9. Beartooth
10. Marco Polo
11. Love’s Gotta Come From the Heart
12. Megan Eve of Destruction
13. Kids Wearing Business Casual
14. Will It Last
15. Las Aventuras Con Cohetes
16. True Colors
17. Goodnight Moon [Revisited]
18. When We Found the Truth
December 10th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
[...] it’s hard not to get caught up in asking yourself, “Why do you like being young?” Full Review Favorite Song: “A Cruel Time In Life” [Listen] [Buy [...]