We have a fierce battle raging for Most Frequently Mentioned Band on ovrld.com, and The Boxing Lesson have just pulled ahead of the Shears. We’ve been fans of theirs for a while now, but for some reason haven’t gotten around to reviewing their recently released Muerta EP yet. But after Dan and I witnessed their in-store at End of an Ear this past weekend, it became clear that this is a really cool release that needs some wider exposure.
The opening track “Darker Side of the Moog,” after a lengthy ambient intro feels a lot like Disintegration-era Cure, but maintains the psychedelic edge that marks TBL’s sound. Jaylinn Davidson’s synthesizer part adds both a catchy hook and an eerie atmosphere while Paul Waclawsky is at his most sinister in his vocal delivery. On the other side of the EP is “Drone to Sleep,” which starts off with a Casio-sounding drum machine track, but builds around two chords into a cathartic anthem. I’m discovering that I’m kind of a sucker for two-chord songs (see: The Dark Water Hymnal’s “Chandeliers”), and this one does not disappoint.
The Boxing Lesson - Darker Side of the Moog
Whether this EP portends the sound on the group’s upcoming Possibilities LP or not remains to be seen, but The Boxing Lesson have shown that they are masters of trippy, ambient psychedelic sounds by not focusing on those sounds. Rather they emphasize their songwriting and use the psychedelic tropes as enhancements instead of crutches. You can listen to/purchase the four-song EP here, and we will of course keep you posted on any further news about the group. We can’t wait for the new LP to drop later this year.
–Carter