The Strange Boys - Be Brave Review

Be Brave

The Strange Boys

Release Date: 22nd Feb, 2010
Label: Rough trade
Genre: Rock

The second album from Texan rockers The Strange Boys, and the follow up to their debut ‘The Strange Boys and Girls Club’. They specialise in a range of styles, from the bluesy opener ‘I See’, through the minimal yet beautiful ‘A Walk On The Bleach’ and the old time feel of ‘Friday In Paris’. Merging – if it’s possible – the short, spiky songs of The Strokes with past masters such as Bob Dylan, this is an atmospheric record (some tracks could feasibly appear on a Tarantino movie soundtrack – see ‘Laugh At Sex, Not Her’), smattered with Ryan Sambol’s distinctive vocals – part Kings Of Leon’s Caleb Followill, part Pete Doherty (which can be either a good or bad thing for some!). Keeping a loose, confident feel, The Strange Boys might be an acquired taste, but might end up becoming the cult band of choice before the year is out.

Reviewed by Pete Muscutt

About The Artist

The Strange Boys

Austin, TX's The Strange Boys evoke a wild-eyed, porcelain-skinned innocence that is capable of summoning the wayward spirit of Brian Jones. The mystery of the South couples with the mastery of rhythm to create a sound completely timeless and familiar, yet absolutely raw and avant-garde. Greg Enlow's syncopated, organ-driven grooves hark back to The Seeds' Pushing Too Hard while guitarist Ryan Sambol's voice wavers beyond comparison. Older brother Philip Sambol keeps the pulse with the aptly named Matt Hammer, who unmercifully pounds an old Ludwig set. The Strange Boys began as a duo (Hammer and the younger Sambol) in 2003. The other two joined in 2005 and the band has been on tour non-stop ever since. Since 2003 the Boys have recorded a wealth of material which was passed around at shows and to friends, but never officially released. In 2007, Dusty Medical Records put out the Nothing EP, and in 2008, In The Red released the Woe Is You And Me single. Now, finally, the band's proper debut album is seeing the light of day. It's easy to imagine The Strange Boys and Girls Club, a sixteen-track beast, blasting out of any stereo system between The Psychedelic Sounds of The 13th Floor Elevators and Wire's Pink Flag. The Strange Boys were the backing band for Mighty Hannibal (the '50s R&B recording artist); were main support for Roky Erickson and The Explosives at the Chaos in Tejas festival; have played South by Southwest the last four years, the Fuck Yeah Fest the last three years, Austin City Limits, Festival in Music Fest Northwest, and Bamalama (all in 2008); shared bills with Daniel Johnston, Black Lips, Reigning Sound, The King Khan And BBQ Show, Jay Reatard, Mika Miko, No Age, and BRMC; have toured with The Black Angels, Fucked Up, The Carrots, and Crystal Antlers[a/rtist]; and will tour with Darker My Love and Mika Miko in '09.î In 2010, Indierockcafe.Com listed Austin indie band The Strange Boys Be Brave, LP on their "Best Albums of 2010 (So Far)" and "Artists and Bands" favorites list.

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1 Comments

  1. aaronWHAT 26 Feb 2010

    WRONG ALBUM COVER MUCH!?

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