boris smile

2005 / 2008 / 4 stars / boris smile / reviews / site news — No Comments
11
Dec 08

Beartooth EP (2008) by Boris Smile

Genre: indie pop, rock
Rating:
“Beartooth (spooky version)” and “Program Me To Love.”
myspace, garageband.com
Boris Smile’s artistpreview, The Pierce’s Thirteen Tales of Love and Revenge

This newest by Boris Smile features the same low-fi California dream pop of their previous releases, but tinged a little darker than usual. Thankfully, all of that darkness is pretty much contained in “Beartooth (spooky version).” The seriousness continues through the next four songs, but the arrangements prevent the band and the listener from getting too bogged down. Lead singer Wes Chung’s voice is as matter-of-fact and jarring as ever, which can be annoying on repeated listens. But for all that, the lyrics are as honest enough to lure you back again.

While this EP shows some maturation in arrangement and general coherency, it still screams the easy pop that you’d expect from Boris Smile. Honestly, my only complaint is that this EP is far too short with five songs. Buy it and show your support for this ‘undiscovered’ band.

Disclosure: Free sample of this EP was provided by lead singer Wes Chung. Please see my review policy for more details.

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boris smile / preview — 1 Comment
30
Aug 08

ARTISTpreview: Boris Smile

Boris Smile
A. Wesley Chung, Jon Palsgrove, Abigail Davidson, Meagan Christy, Avi Buffalo, Matt Proffitt, et al.
folk/pop, acoustic
(currently unsigned)
borissmile.com

If you consider yourself a serious fan of music then you won’t be too surprised by Boris Smile’s musical arrangements. However, I can guarantee that their lyrics are fresh and quirky enough to pique your interest. When you can find another band who sings about Gameboy, let me know and I’ll amend that statement.

The real strength of this band is a timeless quality of wistfulness that runs through all of their songs. No two songs are too alike, but even in the saddest ones I found a hope for the future. In fact, the simplistic veneer of their lyrics hide a lot more than just hope – I detected plenty of sardonic wit, loss, and even a strong sense of generational disconnect. Coupled with their surprisingly complex and mature sound, Boris Smile has already made the kind of music that makes you sit up and hit rewind over and over again. With a little more growth and time (and money), they could be really impressive.

Chapter I (2007)
Young And It Feels So Good (2008)
Beartooth EP (2008)

Boris Smile sounds like beginning the summer by reminiscing with a bunch of friends.

Disclosure: Boris Smile was brought to my attention by an email from lead singer Wes Chung. Please see my review policy for more.

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