Ordinary Boys - Boys Will Be Boys

  by Anthony Strutt

published: 22 / 1 / 2006

Label: B-Unique
Format: CDS

intro

Catchy pop on single from Brighton's the Ordinary Boys, who have been thrust into instant fame after frontman Preston's appearance on Big Brother

This is the current single from the former Big Brother house mate Preston and his band. Since he was imprisoned for over three weeks, the band couldn't really promote it. Now that Preston is an ex-housemate, the payoff is instant fame, The Ordinary Boys were previously a reasonably succesful indie band playing to the usual standard sized venues, but that has all changed. I saw them at HMV in Oxford Street in London doing a live short set and signing for this single, and it was like teenage Beatlemania. The store was totally full. Preston is a strong enough vocalist, but not brilliant. 'Boys Will Be Boys' is a Friday night anthem for the modern teenager, bored of standing on street corners and waiting to grow up, to get a job and to get a life. It is catchy and is an old style ska/blue beat/reggae edged pop number of the type which Madness and others claimed as their own in the later 70's. It also a black rapper in it to give it a bit more depth. 'Boys Will be Boys' has been released on two CD singles. 'We Soldier On', the B side of the first CD, would work as well as an album filler. It is actually better for radio play than the main track and sounds something like a teenage Gene or a bad Morrissey. On 'Quarter Life', the first of the two B Sides on the second CD, Preston's vocals recall those of Billy Bragg. It is a swaggering ballad and tale that sounds very 1981. The second B Side is a remix of 'Boys Will Be Boys' by Lady Sovereign. It features more of her than the Ordinary Boys and she changes the chorus to "girls will be girls" with Preston providing backing. It is sung like a duet but has more street cred if you are a screwed up teenager with nowhere to go to any night.

Track Listing:-

Band Links:-