Boy Harsher - Careful (Album Review)

Revisiting past eras of music can fill you with different types of nostalgia, but adding a modern touch to it can change the picture completely. Boy Harsher explore 80s new wave in a sensual and almost cinematic way in their dark and dramatic sophomore release, Careful.

The aesthetic of Careful is very unique: it’s intimate and sensual while also being almost claustrophobic and uncomfortable. That’s the art behind it, though: It’s so specifically disorienting that you can’t help but be captivated by it. Opening track ‘Keep Driving‘ begins the album with a disorienting, creepy intro, yet still offering a pretty intense and sensual atmosphere at the same time. This dark and tense atmosphere repeats itself throughout the record, even in the middle of the record with the darker ‘Come Closer‘ and towards the end, with the more adventurous, tantalizing ‘Lost.’ They really sell this drama well, the lo-fi cinematic vibe of tracks like ‘Crush’ really providing a perfect horror soundscape.

It’s the daringness Boy Harsher presents within this record that gives it such a charm. It’s like they’ve gone right back to the 80s and embraced some of the weirder moments of the pop scene. ‘Face The Fire‘ wholly embraces the 80s aesthetic, offering some nice drama but keeping things driven all the same. The punchy dynamics of ‘LA‘ and the almost cheesy samples bring a sense of fun to it, even though the track, on the surface, is a bit more tough to swallow. Boy Harsher are the masters of creating dark atmospheres, creating a very unique one in ‘Tears,’ and even another horrifying one with title track ‘Careful,’ which closes the record ominously.

Whenever an artist from today dives back into the past, a specific nostalgia is created. Boy Harsher dive into the weirdness of the 80s and offering dark, cinematic atmospheres in their sophomore record Careful, presenting their unique sound wonderfully and tactfully. It’s rare to see an artist be as daring as Boy Harsher in embracing a sound, but it paid off wonderfully this time.

Favorite Tracks: LA, Face The Fire, Tears, Keep Driving

Least Favorite Track: Fate

Rating: 82 / 100

Stream or buy Careful on Apple Music, and follow our 2019 Playlist: