Dear Boy
Parts of a Flower
Reviewed by: Lauren Rosier
The sophomore EP from indie rock four-piece, Dear Boy, is out today, and it’s a must listen. Parts of a Flower is a four-song set of solid indie rock, ‘90s alternative, and British pop rock blended together in a glorious package.
The opener, “Local Roses,” is a solid indie rock gem where lead vocalist Ben Gray sings about a significant other, “it’s not her, there’s a ghost in her clothes / it’s not love / but it felt like it then / I can hold her now / but it’s clear she’s not mine to keep / guess it was always in my heart / to let her go…”
It’s about the romantic relationships we’ve all experienced; the ones you think will last an eternity, and then just like that, they end. In those moments during the relationship, you realize you love that person, but when it ends, you discover that it really wasn’t love to begin with.
The ‘90s alt-rock and British influences are clear upon listening to “Alluria.” The band blends the ‘80s stylings of The Cure with the melodies of the ‘90s alt-rock scene. This wasn’t a track that was created quickly, however; Grey had mentioned another interview that the word/name “Alluria” had been haunting him for several weeks prior to working on it, and finally it just all came together once they started writing the music and lyrics.
On “Reckless,” Grey sings, “Don’t cry out to me / Like it’s my job to find you / I know where you’ll be / ‘Cause bad luck’s so hard to find / I just can’t stop feeling alone / ‘Cause I wake up inside myself / You’d be mine if I was someone else…:”
The indie rock outfit definitely has something special going here with their sophomore EP. I’m interested to see if they’re able to expand their sound to new heights and kind of experiment. On Parts of a Flower, overall, the entire package is well done: music, lyrics, production, etc.
Rating: Bad-Ass
