Boy Kill Boy Reviewed
Boy Kill Boy
Civilian
(Island)
Not to be confused with Rock Kills Kid, The Killers, Kill Hannah, or The Kills, London’s Boy Kill Boy drop an engagingly melodic, bandwagon-jumping debut.
In what quickly became a crowded field, rehashed British post punk does about as much now for the spirit as Bush’s Sixteen Stone did for grunge back in ’96. Boy Kill Boy are more Echo & The Bunnymen than Joy Division, but they’re more Interpol and Killers than either of those. If we’re to believe Civilian and ostensibly the band can survive, they’ll have to focus more on their post punk/pop punk hybrid. Snuck into the indebted “Suzie” is the chorus to All American Rejects’ “Dirty Little Secret,” while the Smiths-imbued “Civil Sin” has ties to the goth punk of My Chemical Romance. It’s a subtle touch on a one-note album in desperate need of subtle touches.
— Steve Forstneger
Appearing: Sunday, August 6th at Lollapalooza in Chicago.
