Boy – Mutual Friends

Boy – Mutual Friends

A quick history lesson. Swiss-born singer Valeska Steiner moved to Germany, where in 2005 she met Sonja Glass, who grew up there playing the cello in classical orchestras as a kid, and later working as a bass player for several pop bands. The duo hit it off and formed Boy, who have gone on to gain an army of European fans and make videos that receive a zillion hits on Youtube. Upon these solid foundations, they release their debut album, Mutual Friends.

The record offers charming, mid-tempo pop which is bouncy, breezy and… well… pleasant. Now, often, describing music as pleasant would be seen as a back-handed compliment. But there is no back-handedness intended here, this album is undeniably pleasant. It is also rather lovely and everything is delivered with a lightness of hand.

The record draws many comparisons. Feist is the obvious one, while Waitress could comfortably nestle within an Ingrid Michaelson record and the internet sensation, Little Numbers, nods heavily in the direction of Regina Spektor. If the biggest crime committed by Mutual Friends is sounding a bit like those three artists, then that is no bad thing. Nothing here will change your life, but fans of the likes of Spektor, Michaelson and Feist – as well as people who like a sweet and perky pop melody – will find plenty to enjoy.

Review by Bobby Townsend