The Feeling
Boy Cried Wolf
Reviewed by: Melissa Komar
The Feeling’s fourth full-length album, Boy Cried Wolf, is a worthwhile contribution to today’s pop-rock electronic genre. Eleven tracks of solid guitar riffs, balanced percussion, and straight-forward lyrics, Boy Cried Wolf turns post break-up blues into a beautifully honest, slow-rockin’ symphony.
The combination of keyboard and guitar on opening track “Blue Murder” sets the album apart from other modern-day poppy rockers. In general, the first half of the album up until the brief intermission of “Hides in Your Heart” is more upbeat.
“Fall Like Rain” shines as the strongest track, with cascading keyboard chords streaming into heart-string pulling guitar riffs. The music, sans vocals, is almost Coldplay-like in its ability to capture vulnerability via sound.
The lyrics are simple enough to sing along with and leave listeners wondering if they penned the song themselves on tracks like “You’ll See” when lead vocalist Dan Sells sings, “That’s when you’ll understand. That’s when you’ll see…when someone treats you like you did me.” There are depths to the lyrical complexity throughout the album, even evidenced on the same track when Sells claims, “We’re just two colors that ran together.”
“Empty Restaurant” shows a more electronic-based influence and again showcases the unique sounds of The Feeling. Although Boy Cried Wolf does deliver a sound that screams The Feeling, it also shows similarities to musical inspirations openly acknowledged by the band, most noticeably Queen.
While Boy Cried Wolf definitely has a handful of bad-ass tracks, there is something missing in terms of listen ability. At first listen, some tracks just get lost in the mix. A second listen is easier on the ears and starts to take hold, but not without a couple bumps in the ear buds.
Rating: Listenable
