Andrew Taylor and Gonzalo Marcos are the fellows behind this project, which cribbed its name from a tune by the Feelies called “The Boy With the Perpetual Nervousness.” A bi-country collaboration, Taylor operates out of Edinburgh, Scotland, while Marcos is based in San Sebastian, Spain.
The Boys With the Perpetual Nervousness drew instant praise from the indie rock community upon the 2019 release of their debut album, Dead Calm. The twosome’s strain of straight-and-solid guitar pop is indeed highly appealing, and their anxiously awaited sophomore effort – Songs From Another Life – rings in as the perfect companion to their excellent introductory disc.
Punching in at under half an hour in length, Songs From Another Life moves at a brisk and bubbly pace. Sweet and friendly vocals, courted by sharply detailed hooks and neat and tidy arrangements are indelible qualities gracing the material.
You would be hard pressed to find a better pop song than “Play (On My Mind),” which blinks brightly with star-spangled licks and soft and breezy harmonies. Formed of yoyo rhythms and cutting melodies, “Summer” also stands as a particular showstopper. Elsewhere, “Rose Tinted Glass” is pearled with a crisp country-flavored fragrance.
Further top picks on Songs From Another Life are “Lethargy” and “I Don’t Mind,” but every track truly possesses its own singular wow factor.
Emerging from the same gene pool as bands like the Byrds, Shoes and Teenage Fan Club, the Boys With the Perpetual Nervousness are masters of jangle pop. To be sure, the term has been used and abused until it is black and blue, but as Songs From Another Life reveals, such a classification is fully warranted.
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