Following on from a handful of successful gigs in Brighton and London, 3 piece math-punk outfit BOSS swiftly return to streaming services, delivering a 1 minute and 41 second corker that is, in equal parts, an 8-bit cover of a Slift song and a track lifted from Giraffes? Giraffes!’s first album.
Within the first 5 seconds of the song you're misled into the foundation of a distorted pop ditty, perhaps something akin to a M.I.A. track - the initial chord striking a few times on the keys before the drums, bass and vocals come in like a dog on crack.
A couple of things charm me here - the entire song has a steady, pulsating rhythm, propelled by the kick drum, flitting between a four-to-the-floor dance beat and calculated stomps, and this is only accentuated by the bass guitar, whose tone seems to completely blow the entire song out of the water - gritty, distorted, and equivalent to a layer within a Thundercat song, it’s a worthwhile addition to the lineup.
Lead singer Oscar Lane’s vocals propel the track way past the calibre of generic “post-punk” trash floating around these days, adding a gleam of cheek, a hint of playfulness if you will, linking back to the major key of the song - some of his vocal lines are screamed at double speed, matching the pitch of the guitar / keyboard melodies.
Towards the second half of the song the electronic noises ramp up and the feel of the song becomes far more unique, an eclectic mix of video game glitches and hardcore breakdowns. This is a band that you can’t miss, should you get the opportunity to catch them live. Regardless, have a go on the tune yourselves, you won’t be disappointed!
My final notes on Monkey Thoughts? I feel like within the mix the distinction between the guitar and keyboard lines could have been made clearer - yet my only other issue with this song is that it’s too damn short. I’m looking forward to what they come up with next.
