BOY/FRIEND is an up-and-coming young talent from New York City, and his tunes are fun and uptempo, tracing their roots back to the clubby Jersey subset of R&B. The crooner's voice is of a level timbre, but it's just sultry enough to incapacitate and induce swooning. While his tone is his weapon, his true genius is his ability to prove himself remarkably malleable to the textured soundscapes he selects. This, his particular brand of R&B, is constantly moving and the activity makes for an incredibly interactive listening experience that essentially forces you to dance. "Never Not Looking," BOY/FRIEND's latest record, continues this incredible track record, and one listen simply wont suffice.
"Never Not Looking" is a kinetic record about love, and it's frenetic pace mimics the uncertainty encapsulated by its subtext. "I'm playing the field, trying to catch something real / Not you, yes you, no you, yes you / Will I ever feel like I'm ready to kneel / For you, if so, say yes, I do," he chants, trying to convince both himself and the love he's pursuing. The song explores the duality of love: the fear of commitment and the conflicting need for stability. It is a dichotomy frequently explored in the genre, and BOY/FRIEND makes fitting work of the theme. The sounds behind him continually build and transform, but they're almost always pushing the pace forward and the lack of inactivity keeps the track entertaining throughout. By the end, you almost feel like you need to catch your breath. BOY/FRIEND is expanding upon his already fresh and exciting sound, and at this rate, he may end up one of the true talents to watch in the coming year. You be the judge.
Stream and download BOY/FRIEND's "Never Not Looking" below, get tickets to see him perform live at Glasslands Gallery on February 12th here, and keep looking out for more from the promising vocalist.
[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/129241789" iframe="true" /]
