Punk/wave/indie bands that prominently feature saxophones tend not to exude the sweetest of vibes, but Boston's Boys Life were at least something of an exception. You can probably chalk that up to Neal Sugarmen, whose reeds don't overpower so much as augment. The trio was definitely on the left-of-the-dial level, frequently bearing a pop acumen. Sonically, Boys Life impress me as being a bit advanced for their time, and in all honesty, I would have pegged this record as a product of 1987-88 rather than five years prior. And is it just me or does frontman John Surette remind you of Gray Matter/3/Senator Flux singer Geoff Turner? Pure coincidence of course.
01. It Came From Here
02. Water
03. From A to Z
04. Happy People
05. True Believers
06. Person I Want to Be
7 comments:
I love this 12in. Have you heard their single or the split with the Outlets? It's all stellar.
No. Haven't heard anything by them outside this record. I like the Outlets too.
You had me at Boston 1982. But as soon as I saw a Geoff Turner reference I downloaded without seeking out clips on YouTube (my initial reaction to bands I am unfamiliar with). Turner is not only one of my top five songwriters, I absolutely love his voice - there is something so raw and sincere about his voice, conveying more emotion than my favorites. Thank you for introducing me to this band.
I second the comment from Christopher DiOrio... the Geoff Turner reference is what caught my attention. Had the pleasure of recording with him in the late 90s... incredible guy. Thanks for posting this!
Is this a new rip? I have the EP on my hard drive, don't know if I got it here or from another site. Thanks!
Neal Sugarman? Wow! This must be the same guy who co-founded DapTone Records and plays sax with the Dap-Kings (Sharon Jones, Amy Winehouse, Mick Ronson, Bruno Mars etc) and fronts the Sugarman 3! But you probably knew that. Great find!
Would it be possible to re-up this? Very tough to find, thanks!
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