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Review
Just as MGMT's music lodged itself firmly in the public consciousness long before anyone knew their name, The Boy Least Likely To's unique brand of cheerful toetappery has, courtesy of numerous soundtracks and adverts, covertly been creeping its way into the minds of the nation since as far back as 2003. And as the Wendover duo return with their second album The Law of the Playground, it may well be their time to step fully into the limelight.
Seamlessly picking up where debut The Best Party Ever left off, this truly is music to illuminate the wintry black hearts of even the most contemptuous of critics. The marriage of novel compositions and unashamed cuteness is very much still alive, and if possible, boasting even more of an endearingly human quality than before.
With previous calling-card anthem Be Gentle With Me now synonymous with any number of products, it's fortunate that The Law Of The Playground comes equipped with a mezze of potential successors, one likely contender being the polite middle-finger anthem of Every Goliath Has Its David. Even its roundabout reference to Scrappy Doo - the worst idea in the history of animation - can't detract from the buoyancy and charm on display. And frankly, when something that extraneous provides the most negative facet of an album, it's safe to say you're onto a winner.
The candyfloss country of opener Saddle Up sets the tone for a jovial, optimistic hoedown through 12 further bursts of delightfully zany yet refreshingly sincere indie-pop. A blend of Bakersfield sensibilities and quaint Englishness, it's hard to imagine another artist even attempting to emulate a sound so unique.
That's not to say The Law Of The Playground stops at functioning as a day-glo merry-go-round. Hidden not too discreetly beneath the initial demonstrations of bijou delight lies a depth and a darkness in the form of Jof Owen's childhood tales, recounted with a mix of candour and innocence.
And yet, these occasional forays into bleaker subject matter inadvertently reveal an admirable resilience - this pooled with the fact that they're swathed in Pete Hobbs' uplifting, pop-heavy milieu also gives the listener the option to simply enjoy The Law Of The Playground for what it is on the surface.
Whichever way you choose to understand it, there's no contesting the quality and the pluckiness presented here. And while The Boy Least Likely To may be far too saccharine for many an aural palate, it's hard to imagine their music not raising an involuntary smile in even the most aloof individual. If sunshine could be converted into MP3 format, The Law of the Playground is a pretty close approximation as to how it would sound. --Al Fox
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:MP3 Download
The two boys of The Boy Least Likely To are back to rule the playground with their bouncy, adorable and occasionally mournful "country disco" sound. These songs are tinged with the sadness of twenty-somethings who remember the days of the old schoolyard only too well, but can now sing about them with a somewhat adult perspective ("I'm still as stupid as I was before/And although I'm not that young any more..."). References are unabashedly English -- "conkers," "aluminium," "biscuit crumbs," "anoraks" "pea shooters," and "cricket pitches" -- but the bruises and heartaches are universal. This album proves that even if you live by THE LAW OF THE PLAYGROUND, you can't stop life marching on. But as Jof Owen sings on "Saddle Up"; "I want to have some fun/Before I go over the hill..." Enjoy it while you can.
Format:Audio CD
I have bought all their albums and have really enjoyed them all.
This one to me feels a little slower paced than their first album The Best Party Ever but still they have the sad lyrics mixed with the happy sounds.
This is a band who make me smile when I listen to their music they are so innocent sounding in some ways and its a joy to have no swearing.
Favourite songs are: Balloon on a Broken String, When Life Gives Me Lemons I Make Lemonade, I Box Up All the Butterflies, Whiskers, I
Keep Myself to Myself and A Fairytale Ending.
Definately recommended to everyone.
This one to me feels a little slower paced than their first album The Best Party Ever but still they have the sad lyrics mixed with the happy sounds.
This is a band who make me smile when I listen to their music they are so innocent sounding in some ways and its a joy to have no swearing.
Favourite songs are: Balloon on a Broken String, When Life Gives Me Lemons I Make Lemonade, I Box Up All the Butterflies, Whiskers, I
Keep Myself to Myself and A Fairytale Ending.
Definately recommended to everyone.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3 reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
The universal laws of the playground
6 May 2009
Format:Audio CD
I have to admit that the first time I found myself listening to The boy least likely I was slightly embarrassed. It started as curiosity but then mutated into real fondness for a bunch of tracks that sounded like the background music at a kids birthday party.
The brains behind this unusual entity are singer/lyricist Jof Owen and composer/multi-instrumentalist Pete Hobbs. Both wrote the scraps of what would become their debut album The best party ever in 2002, and since then the creation of their own indie label (Too young to die), a string of shows supporting bigger acts in Europe, the ominous comparison to Belle and Sebastian and They might be giants, commercial endorsements and word of mouth has made their name known in the music circuit.
The first thing that hits you about this band is the visuals. Deliberately designed to look inviting for a kid it would be a categoric reason for the unadventurous listener to dismiss them at once. But digging a little deeper one finds the logical connection between the artwork and the lyrics of the songs. Their tirade of never ending joy can be seen as a description of life from a child's point of view or as a concealed analysis of adult emotions from a positive perspective.
The law of the playground was released in the UK in March and last month in the US. Even with the lack of pompous promotion it has been one of the most anticipated releases this year. It was preceded by download-only single I box up all the butterflies, a merry story about summer fun with, what else, butterfly catching. A balloon on a broken string deals with honesty and freedom of spirit, while Every Goliath has its David, in my humble opinion one of the best singles they've written to date, tackles the courage to achieve one's dreams. Closing tracks The worm forgives the plough and A fairy tale ending show the other side of the coin and tell about coming to terms with life's puns and facing shattered dreams.
As I write this review the opening scene of the film Happy-go-lucky comes to mind, in which we see the annoyingly happy Sally Hawkins prancing around town trying to engage everyone in her cheerful mood. That allure that almost caused me to dump the movie for its artificial portrait of reality was the same reason why I decided to invest a couple of extra minutes and find out what it led to. It could be that the American market will never be ready for what their creators call "country disco" or that the pressure for labeling everything (a habit that needs to be exiled now) would push this record into oblivion. Their rich orchestration, impeccable arrangements and candid approach to this bold world we live in should be the reasons why it becomes the feel good album of the year. An anachronistic delight ready to be discovered and propelled to balance out the wave of deprecative lumps we are used to.
The brains behind this unusual entity are singer/lyricist Jof Owen and composer/multi-instrumentalist Pete Hobbs. Both wrote the scraps of what would become their debut album The best party ever in 2002, and since then the creation of their own indie label (Too young to die), a string of shows supporting bigger acts in Europe, the ominous comparison to Belle and Sebastian and They might be giants, commercial endorsements and word of mouth has made their name known in the music circuit.
The first thing that hits you about this band is the visuals. Deliberately designed to look inviting for a kid it would be a categoric reason for the unadventurous listener to dismiss them at once. But digging a little deeper one finds the logical connection between the artwork and the lyrics of the songs. Their tirade of never ending joy can be seen as a description of life from a child's point of view or as a concealed analysis of adult emotions from a positive perspective.
The law of the playground was released in the UK in March and last month in the US. Even with the lack of pompous promotion it has been one of the most anticipated releases this year. It was preceded by download-only single I box up all the butterflies, a merry story about summer fun with, what else, butterfly catching. A balloon on a broken string deals with honesty and freedom of spirit, while Every Goliath has its David, in my humble opinion one of the best singles they've written to date, tackles the courage to achieve one's dreams. Closing tracks The worm forgives the plough and A fairy tale ending show the other side of the coin and tell about coming to terms with life's puns and facing shattered dreams.
As I write this review the opening scene of the film Happy-go-lucky comes to mind, in which we see the annoyingly happy Sally Hawkins prancing around town trying to engage everyone in her cheerful mood. That allure that almost caused me to dump the movie for its artificial portrait of reality was the same reason why I decided to invest a couple of extra minutes and find out what it led to. It could be that the American market will never be ready for what their creators call "country disco" or that the pressure for labeling everything (a habit that needs to be exiled now) would push this record into oblivion. Their rich orchestration, impeccable arrangements and candid approach to this bold world we live in should be the reasons why it becomes the feel good album of the year. An anachronistic delight ready to be discovered and propelled to balance out the wave of deprecative lumps we are used to.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Remember the Days of the Old Schoolyard
1 May 2009
Format:Audio CD
The two boys of The Boy Least Likely To are back to rule the playground with their bouncy, adorable and occasionally mournful "country disco" sound. These songs are tinged with the sadness of twenty-somethings who remember the days of the old schoolyard only too well, but can now sing about them with a somewhat adult perspective ("I'm still as stupid as I was before/And although I'm not that young any more..."). References are unabashedly English -- "conkers," "aluminium," "biscuit crumbs," "anoraks" "pea shooters," and "cricket pitches" -- but the bruises and heartaches are universal. This album proves that even if you live by THE LAW OF THE PLAYGROUND, you can't stop life marching on. But as Jof Owen sings on "Saddle Up"; "I want to have some fun/Before I go over the hill..." Enjoy it while you can.
Cool Twee-Pop
27 Dec 2011
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
The British Invasion (of music) is still ongoing! Check out these guys on YouTube, then buy this CD. Their music is upbeat, encouraging, and just plain fun to listen to. I purchased this for my 16 year old daughter, who loves it!
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