American dark electro-pop pair Boy Harsher release feelings of fracture and grief on new album GET MEAN, out via Nude Club / Atlantic Records. It’s a well crafted electronic recollection of their devolving romance and the open road, coated with slide guitar and synthesizers for sweetening. An abstraction and a retrospective.
Some moments call upon early Depeche Mode. Other moments, like the opener ‘Ronny‘, are more upbeat and bright than I expected for an album titled GET MEAN. Either way, it works because Jae Matthews‘ iconic voice provides an unmistakeable depth and warmth. No matter what transforms about the duo and their style, her sound is a constant.
GET MEAN brings many new shades to the sonic palette: from softy detuned pads and noisily squelching leads to pedal steel pitchbends, from brash percussive in-jokes to unadorned cellphone voice notes, from the driving coldwave beats that have long anchored the band’s sound to New Romantic guitar textures and archly cheeky pop moves.
BOY HARSHER
The first single from the album is ‘Jeans’ and it sounds like the American mall in its prime. On a deeper level, it’s about a desire for more. More than what you have. More than what you are. Chasing a dream until you find that glitter isn’t gold. “That’s life / living in a small town / Gave it all up / just to sell jeans”
‘Hard Beat’ is the second single and one of my favorites from the record. I reviewed it almost immediately after its release, but I feel it is worthy of a second mention. It just scratches that classic Boy Harsher itch so well. Also, the music video is tastefully deranged.
‘Bleed’ closes things out and is the lustful melancholia fans live for from these two. Every Boy Harsher project has moments of vampiric seduction, and this might be the only one on the record. I will warn you now though, that is not at all where the lyrics take you. This song is deep loneliness dressed in a sensual gown.
GET MEAN was woven together in eight different cities in three different countries on two different continents. It is challenging to be definitive about this album because it was forged out of transience. That might be what makes it a very authentic breakup album and a success. Like heartbreak and rebuilding, the journey this project takes you on is not linear.
Listen for yourself here. You can also find a chance to listen live below.
BOY HARSHER LIVE DATES w/support from Choir Boy
25 September – Hudson, NY, USA – Basilica
27 September – Boston, MA, USA – Royale
29 September – Montreal, QC, Canada – MTELUS
30 September – Toronto, ON, Canada – Danforth Music Hall
1 October – Detroit, MI, USA – Majestic
2 October – Chicago, IL, USA – Metro SOLD OUT
3 October – Chicago, IL, USA – Metro SOLD OUT
4 October – Minneapolis, MN, USA – Varsity Theater
6 October – Denver, CO, USA – Summit
9 October – Portland, OR, USA – Revolution Hall SOLD OUT
10 October – Portland, OR, USA – Revolution Hall SOLD OUT
11 October – Seattle, WA, USA – The Showbox SOLD OUT
12 October – Seattle, WA, USA – The Showbox
13 October – Vancouver, BC, Canada – The Pearl SOLD OUT
15 October – Oakland, CA, USA – Fox Theater
16 October – Los Angeles, CA, USA – Hollywood Palladium SOLD OUT
17 October – Del Mar, CA, USA – The Sound
18 October – Santa Ana, CA, USA – The Observatory Festival Grounds ^ SOLD OUT
20 October – Las Vegas, NV, USA – House of Blues
21 October – Phoenix, AZ, USA – Van Buren
24 October – Fort Worth, TX, USA – Sick New World *
26 October – New Orleans, LA, USA – Republic
27 October – Atlanta, GA, USA – Variety Playhouse
28 October – Asheville, NC, USA – The Orange Peel
30 October – Washington, DC, USA – The Howard Theatre
31 October – Philadelphia, PA, USA – Making Time *
5 November – New York, NY, USA – Knockdown Center
14 November – Lyon, FR – Le Transbordeur
15 November – Paris, FR – Bataclan
16 November – Strasbourg, FR – La Laiterie
17 November – Frankfurt, DE – Zoom
18 November – Lausanne, CH – Docks
19 November – Munich, DE – Kesselhaus
20 November – Vienna, AT – Ottakringer Brauerei
21 November – Leipzig, DE – Felsenkeller
22 November – Berlin, DE – Columbiahalle
24 November – Hamburg, DE – Gruenspan
25 November – Cologne, DE – Essigfabrik
26 November – Amsterdam, NL – Paradiso
27 November – Lille, FR – L’Aéronef
28 November – Nantes, FR – Warehouse
29 November – London, UK – Roundhouse
1 December – Manchester, UK – Ritz
2 December – Glasgow, UK – SWG3 TV Studio
3 December – Bristol, UK – Bristol Electric (SWX)
4 December – Antwerp, BE – De Roma
Find Boy Harsher on boyharsher.com | bandcamp | instagram | youtube | tiktok