A young band who live in the grey area between alt rock and indie, Local Boy have been cutting their teeth on the local Boston circuit for some time now. Formed after a chance meeting at Berklee College of Music, the quarter of Simon John, Max Agee, Noah Leong, Caelan found that their common interest lay in the great acts of past, with the fiery on-stage presence of the grunge-era giants and the raw passion and musicality of earlier legends paving the way for their own sound.
Musically, the band exist in two distinct worlds, the old, in which The Beatles and the Jimi Hendrix Experience rule, and the fiercely modern, where Weezer, Oasis and Nirvana cast their infamous rock shadows. After an acclaimed debut single that first put the band on the musical radar, Local Boy have been pushing for bigger and better things, and their latest bid to breakaway from the obscure and hit the main stage is ‘Paradise Island’, a new four-minute anthem of light, sun-soaked indie.
Arriving with a tropical disposition and a structure that practically breathes early alt-rock goodness, ‘Paradise Island’ falls in that midway point between ballad and banger, shifting away from heavier rock sounds and into more surf-rock territories. Like The Vaccines did with ‘Melody Calling’, Local Boy have been able to strip back their sound and rebuild it with a new focus, bringing together a full and unshackled melody that shines with newfound maturity and a will to break away from more formulaic compositions.
Still holding firm to that rough-around-the-edges sound, ‘Paradise Lost’ is a logical evolutionary step for the band, following the footsteps of what has come before them and tracing the successes. It’s a strong and sensible plan, and one that seems to be working wonders for the band so far, and while ‘Paradise Island’ might not be the most energetic or upbeat of their songs so far, its easily their most accomplished.
Score: 8/10
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