Ballboy - Girls Are Better Than Boys
by Benjamin Howarth
published: 17 / 12 / 2001

Label:
SL
Format: CDS
intro
This is the first ballboy EP that I have ever bought. Of course I had heard highpoints from the previous two on John Peel, but tracks like “Olympic Cyclist” (from the “I Hate Scotland” EP) took a wh
This is the first ballboy EP that I have ever bought. Of course I had heard highpoints from the previous two on John Peel, but tracks like “Olympic Cyclist” (from the “I Hate Scotland” EP) took a while to sink in so I’ve only just got around recentl;y to realising how much I like them. Having finally realised that I do like them I promptly ordered the new single. Again it wasn’t immediate at all but I was expecting that, and now I rate it as a really decent piece of work. So few bands today actually impress me lyrically, but ballboy are an exception. Lyrics like “I’ve Got Pictures Of You In Your Underwear” don’t have any pretensions of being poetry but cover unique themes. All four tracks are really strong and the band have developed their sound from what I have heard previously. The highpoint of the record is the opening track “Leave The Earth Behind You And Take a Walk Into The Sunshine” upon which the band take up their electric guitars. It is less tuneful than anything else but the most musically adept. Another highlight is “Swim For Health”, an acoustic number that features violins and trumpets. The range of styles across the EP suggests that Ballboy are ready to make an accomplished album. After 3 successful EPs it has to be the next step, and this Ep comes highly recommended!
Track Listing:-
1 Leave The Earth Behind You And Take A Walk2 I've Got Pictures Of You In Your Underwear
3 Swim For Health
4 They'll Hang Flags From Cranes Upon My Wedding Day
interviews |
Interview (2008) |
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At the Indietracks Festival in Derbyshire, Jamie Rowland talks to Edinburgh-based indie pop group ballboy, back for a third interview with Pennyblackmusic, about the state of radio and their first album in four years |
Interview (2002) |
Interview (2002) |
live reviews |
Lokal Bar, Vaxjo, Sweden, 12/4/2003 |
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Tommy Gunnarsson waited for more than three years for ballboy to come to Sweden, but finds it has been worth the long wait |
digital downloads
reviews |
All The Records On The Radio Are Shite (2002) |
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Fourth EP from Edinburgh indiepop stars, which ,while it is not able to live up to the very high expectaions of its predecessors, still makes essential listening |
I Hate Scotland (2001) |
Club Anthems 2001 (2001) |
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