Boys Star Library - If I Was Born A Girl

  by Olga Sladeckova

published: 17 / 12 / 2001

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Review

Are you happy in your life? Do you always look forward? If so, good for you, but don’t forget what went on in your past. “Have a look back for a moment”, suggest The Boys’ Star Library, a New York City based band, on their gripping album ‘if I was born a girl’, and remind yourself all those now seemingly unimportant moments that shook your life at the time from top to bottom. The Boys’ Star Library were formerly called Wookiee and released a single album ‘Blast Shield Down' under this name. The group features in its line-up Chris Bracco (guitars, electronics), Danny Parker (bass, keys), Andrew Veety (drums) and has Jimmy Hughes as its frontman (vocals, guitars, ukulele). Jimmy signed the band to himself as he also happens to be the president of the Bumblebear record label. The band's new album quickly conquer your emotions, and becomes even more delightfully serious if you pay attention to the lyrics. It’s definitely worth it. Trust me! They are all written in an enclosed booklet, so you can easily slip into a life captured and described on the album from birth to growing up to the end - death? The first unnamed track, which is full of messy music with no lyrics, is completely left to your own explanation and begins an anonymous journey that everybody can relate to. I personally got completely addicted to the third track, 'missing genny'. A catchy melody creatively builds up and then steps back as Jimmy sings about his greatest wish come true. A natural sensitivity is caught up with each song , coming down on 'star cupid' where the lyric is shadowed with the painful acceptance that some hopes will remain unfulfilled. Guitars lightly sway around causing you heartquake. ‘you’re sweet song now' meanwhile uses drums, that could be assimilated to a heartbeat, to build up the music for a vocal about falling in love. ‘if’, ‘thanksgiving with the new fam’ and ‘ codeman D*A*V*E’ have an energetic swing, which is raised up further by ‘the rad experiment [Utah] and ‘dime telephones and music’, both of which wrap up in a childlike playful melody a trumpet and a glockenspiel. The appeasing words of ‘when we decide to give up’ and ‘being old’ round the album off and smoothly fade it away and close it in music that drifts away with no exact explanation to the whole ‘If I Was Born a Girl’ journey. The only key to it all lies in your own life. You won’t regret finding it. I’m taking my hat off. This is a beautiful piece of work!

Track Listing:-

1 Nancy
2 Missing Genny
3 West Of My Prairies Heart
4 Star Cupid
5 You're A Sweet Song Now
6 If
7 Thanksgiving With The New Fam
8 Codename D*A*V*E
9 The Rad Experiment (Utah)
10 Sleeping Angel
11 Dime Telephones and Music
12 All You Got Is Love
13 Song Fades To Applause
14 When We Decide To Give Up
15 Being Old