Album: The Strawberry EP
Artist: Dear Boy
Label: Easy Hell
Review: This EP draws from the well-established tradition of dreamy, bright indie pop in the vein of groups such as The Cranberries and The Sundays, or more recently, Hatchie. The guitars here sparkle, the vocals have an airy, ethereal quality, and the drums tumble along with a workmanlike quality.
Of the five songs here, four maintain more upbeat pop tempos, whereas “Something Good”, the middle track on this EP, feels like the obligatory ballad. All of these songs are certainly enjoyable tracks—there is nothing particularly bad here—but these songs can occasionally fail to make much of an impression. Though The Strawberry EP lacks the hypnotic and powerful quality that characterizes the best dream pop, this EP is still enjoyable, and the band shows a clear knack for melody and dreamy, light texture. For anyone with more than a passing interest in dream pop, it’s worth a listen, and it will be interesting to see where Dear Boy goes from here.
Sounds Like: The Sundays, The Cranberries, Hatchie
Recommended Tracks: “Limelight”, “Love Interest”
Reviewer: Jonathan Gibson
Review Date: October 15, 2019