Impressive and nostaglic album from Liverpool based two piece
Electro pop is back! Synths are sexy again! Get to your local discothèque and throw some pointy and quasi-pretentious moves because To My Boy are without a doubt, bringing it back. Forget about the eighties, with its sparse monotonous beats: this is happy, poppy, busy electro in all its wonderous Casio tinged glory.
Art and Science; the age old battle of two schools of thought. These two polar opposites were met and fused when Jack Snape and Sam White met at Durham University. White an Art student and Snape a Physicist, met over a mutual love of music. Currently residing in Liverpool, which has a thriving art rock scene in development, To My Boy are definitely ahead of the class when it comes to making high energy electro.
Messages expertly fuses both Art and Science, combining computer based beats, classic 80s electro vocals (think the bastard offspring of Gary Numan and Phil Hartnell of the Human League) and a the beeps and blips which wouldn't have sounded out of place on a ZX Spectrum or Amiga computer game. But it is the vocals which are really quite incredible, the kind of vocals that make you lament the fact that no one else sings like this anymore. So reminiscent of days gone by, they wouldn't sound out of place on the credits of a John Hughes film or on a child orientated science fiction film of the era (think Tron, Flight of the Navigator or Electric Dreams) and that's no bad thing.
But before you think that Messages is an eighties tribute album, this has some truly original tracks. 'Tell Me, Computer' kicks off proceedings with its tight, punchy and slightly awkward drum beats which then take off in parts and lift to semi-rave proportions as it commands you to 'Step inside the mainframe'. 'Eureka' and 'Outerreigions' keep the mood up and energy up and are quickly followed by the quirky, but none the less sonically exciting 'Model' with its steady, measured drive.
Messages is an impressive effort which drips confidence and a certain degree of nostalgia for those old enough to remember the eighties in all their brash, neon, over the top and experimental beauty, but this time it's so much better. No desolate, repetitive soundscapes here, just music which is packed to the rafters with pips, pops and pings. Dust off your ironic leg warmers and sweat bands, get down that disco and throw yourself around and rejoice; it's ok again to love music.