Boys Star Library - Sugar and Water

  by Olga Sladeckova

published: 26 / 10 / 2002

Label: Bumblebear
Format: CD

intro

Infectiously eclectic pop on second album from New York trio, Boys' Star Library

It's been over a year now since the New York based band, Boys' Star Library, released their debut full length album, 'If I Was Born A Girl'. The album showed off perfectly the musicians' friendly and creative style of music. The songs on it, which described in conceptual order  the whole of a life from birth until old age, were similarly outstanding. 'Sugar & Water', the band's second album, develops the idea of its precursor  focusing on just one period of life this time, which is adolescence, and everything that goes with it. “... where are you now? because I fell asleep and had a dream that I'd love to share with you now “ ss how Jimmy Hughes, the lead singer, opens  the album  on  'On Summer Vocation', the first track. ' 'Sugar & Water', like as 'If I Was…,  is generous  in its use of instrumentation which includes bass, guitar, cello, tambourine, woodblock and  trombone. It is evident from its title what  'Me & Julia', the second track,  is about . Everyone in the group  must have felt desire for a girl  at some point, and the 4 piece all male band is not shy admitting it in the lyrics. '(Under Master Control)’ is modest in its sound  at first. There is a lot to it , however. The music is smoothly  shifted along  by a steady undercurrent of bass guitars through several quieter and noisier moments. You know the feeling that makes your body shiver.  'Pinned Between Two Ghosts' has a similar impact  where the music is kept in in the background, while  the lyric is forced to stand out as a result of it its delicate style. 'Sugar & Water', on the other hand, brims with energy. The words are sang with similar vitality and fast speed. One of the significant features of  Boys' Star Library is their ability to affect your mood. 'Like At The Brink Of A Dream', the last song, is not exception, when all the instruments are given a good airing and  the volume of the song is toyed around with once again. The album has a good swing  to it right from its beginning and throughout all of its 11 tracks. These are lyrics that anyone can relate to,  and the music is expressive. It's definitely worth listening to, and will have  a delightful effect on the way that you think about things.

Track Listing:-