This article was written for the Missoula Independent’s Music section.

Sometimes I go on week-long spells of listening to acoustic music and start to think it’s the only way songs can be made. Give it up to Missoula’s Boys for reawakening me to the joys of distortion, echo and reverb in less than 20 minutes. Strike that—the effect was pretty immediate. With diverse structures akin to TV on the Radio, but with a tone closer to bluesy lo-fi, Kamikaze definitely blew my expectations out of the water. “Bernard Mickey Wrangle” especially tickles my fancy. It sounds like the soundtrack to one of my favorite European snowboarding videos but with a better mastery of English. “Pocketknife” has similar pop rock qualities, though the vocals need to get on key. Anyone can do the Modest Mouse thing (please don’t), but singer Kale Huseby can do better. For the most part he does, though familiar catchy formulas creep in from time to time. The succinct, solo guitar work will easily keep you hooked to the end of album. I haven’t heard a rock record like this come out of Missoula since Wartime Blues’ 2011 magical farewell album. Not that I had low expectations for Boys in particular, but it’s easy to treat any young band with some skepticism. It’s nice when that pessimism is quickly stamped out. (Brooks Johnson)

 

That stellar review is for the new album, Kamikaze, by Missoula, Montana band, Boys.

They’ll be playing the early show at Vaudeville Mews on Friday, June 7th with local rock ‘n’ rollers Seed of Something, Dhobi Fats, and Los Drugs. $5 to get in and doors open at 5:30 p.m.

You can listen to them lay down a few tracks at the Palace Lounge in Missoula here.

If you like what you hear, you can LIKE them on Facebook.

OR if tumblr is more your thing, you can take a tumbl with them.