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 The universal laws of the playground May 06, 2009
I have to admit that the first time I found myself listening to The boy least likely I was slightly embarrassed. It started as curiosity but then mutated into real fondness for a bunch of tracks that sounded like the background music at a kids birthday party.
The brains behind this unusual entity are singer/lyricist Jof Owen and composer/multi-instrumentalist Pete Hobbs. Both wrote the scraps of what would become their debut album The best party ever in 2002, and since then the creation of their own indie label (Too young to die), a string of shows supporting bigger acts in Europe, the ominous comparison to Belle and Sebastian and They might be giants, commercial endorsements and word of mouth has made their name known in the music circuit.
The first thing that hits you about this band is the visuals. Deliberately designed to look inviting for a kid it would be a categoric reason for the unadventurous listener to dismiss them at once. But digging a little deeper one finds the logical connection between the artwork and the lyrics of the songs. Their tirade of never ending joy can be seen as a description of life from a child's point of view or as a concealed analysis of adult emotions from a positive perspective.
The law of the playground was released in the UK in March and last month in the US. Even with the lack of pompous promotion it has been one of the most anticipated releases this year. It was preceded by download-only single I box up all the butterflies, a merry story about summer fun with, what else, butterfly catching. A balloon on a broken string deals with honesty and freedom of spirit, while Every Goliath has its David, in my humble opinion one of the best singles they've written to date, tackles the courage to achieve one's dreams. Closing tracks The worm forgives the plough and A fairy tale ending show the other side of the coin and tell about coming to terms with life's puns and facing shattered dreams.
As I write this review the opening scene of the film Happy-go-lucky comes to mind, in which we see the annoyingly happy Sally Hawkins prancing around town trying to engage everyone in her cheerful mood. That allure that almost caused me to dump the movie for its artificial portrait of reality was the same reason why I decided to invest a couple of extra minutes and find out what it led to. It could be that the American market will never be ready for what their creators call "country disco" or that the pressure for labeling everything (a habit that needs to be exiled now) would push this record into oblivion. Their rich orchestration, impeccable arrangements and candid approach to this bold world we live in should be the reasons why it becomes the feel good album of the year. An anachronistic delight ready to be discovered and propelled to balance out the wave of deprecative lumps we are used to.
 Remember the Days of the Old Schoolyard May 01, 2009
The two boys of The Boy Least Likely To are back to rule the playground with their bouncy, adorable and occasionally mournful "country disco" sound. These songs are tinged with the sadness of twenty-somethings who remember the days of the old schoolyard only too well, but can now sing about them with a somewhat adult perspective ("I'm still as stupid as I was before/And although I'm not that young any more..."). References are unabashedly English -- "conkers," "aluminium," "biscuit crumbs," "anoraks" "pea shooters," and "cricket pitches" -- but the bruises and heartaches are universal. This album proves that even if you live by THE LAW OF THE PLAYGROUND, you can't stop life marching on. But as Jof Owen sings on "Saddle Up"; "I want to have some fun/Before I go over the hill..." Enjoy it while you can.
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