Album Review: Boy - Mutual Friends

Mutual Friends is the debut album for Swiss-German band Boy, comprised of Valeska Steiner and Sonja Glass. Much like the three-lettered moniker they have chosen to perform under, the songs Steiner and Glass have put together are simple and without fuss. Yet, what could have been a perfect collection of folksy/indie-pop goodness is marred by a couple of questionable inclusions late in the album.

The appropriately-named This Is The Beginning opens and is a pleasant enough number that sets the tone for the next three-quarters-of-an-hour or so, with its acoustic bent and easy-going tone. There are a number of tracks that pick up the pace a little (such as Waitress, Little Numbers, Oh Boy and Silver Streets), but there is something that doesn't quite sit quite right as you make your way to the end of the album.

There is no denying that, as a generalisation, Boy are producing some rather inoffensive, middle-of-the-road indie pop – that's not the problem. The issue arises when Steiner and Glass try and change that sound and make it harder edged with Boris and Skin. It just doesn't work with the prettiness of the surrounding tunes, and there are some very pretty tracks on offer. Drive Darling is perfect for warm summer evenings spent relaxing on a porch, while note must be made of Railway for its hauntingly beautiful ending, which helps it stand out from the rest of the tracks on the album, and July for being a perfect ending to this debut, with its dreamy, soft lullaby-esque tones.

If you can skip the tracks that don't seem to fit with the rest of the album, then Mutual Friends works; but this is strictly for those who like their indie light and sweet.