Foreign Words

The most pleasant of indie pop diversions, Boycrazy presents a good-natured marriage of crisp boy-girl harmonies, clean guitars, and instantly memorable melodies. Having ties to the Elephant 6 collective, with Bryce Edwards and Rachel Blumberg also being members of the Minders, Boycrazy generally comes across with a much more everyday pop aesthetic, pleasantly free of the more experimental and psychedelic meanderings that could be expected from such an association. While that's not to say that Foreign Words' 12 tracks are marred by a lack of adventurousness, as four-part harmonies, changing time signatures, and various moods are presented, one nevertheless gets the feeling that Boycrazy could have spent just as much time listening to the Vaselines as they have to the Olivia Tremor Control. Finding yet another undeniably infectious way to line up three chords, "Apartments" wastes no time finding its compelling groove, just as the big slinking basslines of "Bad Things" and the crashing drums and chunky guitar twists of "Through the Walls" show a general spirit of uninhibited glee. Never stuck in one gear, the more somber tones of "Plastic Bags" and rising and falling twee pop harmonies of "UFO" establish an impressively varied sound. Those looking for knockout pop with a decidedly sunny disposition need look no further.