Track by Track Review: Nosebleeds by The Lost Boys
Southampton indie four piece band The Lost Boys are releasing their debut LP Nosebleeds on January 8 (David Bowie’s and Elvis’s birthday!). Their Indiegogo supporters received their copies just in time for Christmas, but you can purchase the album on iTunes and it is available for streaming on Spotify and Apple Music.
The band kindly sent me a digital copy of their debut LP, thank you so much!
First, a little background on the band: Daniel Ash is the singer, guitarist, and songwriter; James Millar is the bassist, Shaun Ashley plays guitar, and Joel Doherty is the drummer and does some vocals. The band have played the Hammersmith Apollo, Plymouth Pavilions, and The Cavern Club. They’ve opened for legendary musicians like Paul Weller, The Buzzcocks, The Zombies, The Undertones, and The English Beat. They’re definitely a band to keep an eye on.
You can find them on Facebook, Twitter, and Soundcloud.
Without further ado, let’s go through the album track by track:
- Addicted
The album starts off with a short retro recording that quickly segues into an energetic power pop/punk sound, reminding me of bands like The Ramones, The Romantics, and The Raspberries. Like a lot of punk and power pop, the song is short, sweet, catchy and leaves you wanting more. My husband was listening too and he’s a fan of punk and ska punk and really enjoyed it.
- Mary
This song has a bit of a power pop distortion to the guitar in it in the intro, it has a more modern 2000s indie sound to it, in a good way.
- Dream Story
Aggressive, hard guitar sound grabs the listener’s attention. This song is more instrumental focussed and has a lot of repetition. I like the muttering in the background and it reminds me of punk music.
- Paper Heart
Has more of a dreamlike pop sound to it than the previous tracks. Reminds me a bit of Britpop, I like that. This is one of the most catchy songs on the album.
- TMWYW
Stands for “tell me what you’re wearing”. Starts off with drums, which is a change from the other songs. The delivery of this song has more of a scream to it and the song title is sung in a high-pitched way, different from the rest of the song. I love the riffs in this song and the abrupt end is very punk.
- Little Problems
This song is very interesting lyrically and has a softer sound. I see this track as the one that is the most radio friendly and would make a great single. This song is one of those that I can play on repeat because of that catchy chorus.
- Men Don’t Ever
As a woman, I can relate to this song and the lyrics resonate with me because I’ve had guys say mean things to me and then backpedal with the tired phrase “it’s just a joke”. I like how the song speeds up at the end.
- Fold Back
Another enjoyable pop punk song on this album, with a mix of influences from the 60s to noughties indie rock. The guitar break is a great moment in this song and a true highlight of the album.
- Honey Trap
True to its title this song sticks with you and traps you in with its catchy guitar riffs and vocal delivery. This song makes me feel nostalgic for the simpler times of the early to mid 2000s, when I had fewer worries, can’t believe that’s retro now, where has the time gone? The retro vinyl sounding fadeout starting in the middle is a very nice touch.
- Pretty Dreams
This song reminds me of the 90s and I like the guitars in it and the distortion. The lyrics are very descriptive and I love the image they paint of fame being difficult and not as it appears to be. The distortion and sharp ending is very fitting and it hits you.
An excerpt of the lyrics: “See my name up in lights and I lose all my cool/ this champagne it does make a fool out of me / when there’s photographers all around/ each praying for me to fall out of my taxi / they disgust me”
- Nervosa
The last track on the album is a strong one and tells a story about a girl with an eating disorder dealing with societal expectations and family’s criticisms. I’ve had my own struggles with eating disorders and this song is so relatable, especially the lyrics “I’m getting good at skipping dinner/ and though I’m thinner, I break/ at girls who stuff their greedy faces and stay in shape”.
The delivery of the lyrics is fitting and symbolic.
This song is a bit longer than the others at 5 minutes, 30 seconds and I love the instrumental break and second part, which gives me Life is Strange vibes.
Final Thoughts:
This album is eclectic and has an interesting mix of sounds to it from more poppy to more aggressive, with no two songs being the same. An excellent debut album by an up and coming band. I look forward to hearing more of their music. My favourite songs on the album are “Addicted”, “Paper Heart”, “Little Problems”, and “Fold Back”. Overall, this album is worth buying.
Here’s the album to stream on Spotify:
The Diversity of Classic Rock 