The "It" Factor
Buy This Now! by Uni Boys - Newer Music Friday
Well, the day has come. It’s Friday the 13th, a day filled with fright and superstition, teeming with tension and nerves, a day where you never know who might be lurking behind you, so be sure not to look behind you… WAIT! What’s that? Guitars in perfect harmony, slick drum fills, pluckingly perfect bass, dreamy vocals… jeez man, this isn’t scary at all!! In fact, it’s pretty damn awesome, so awesome in fact, that you just have to turn around….to reveal none other than Uni Boys’ brand new album, Buy This Now!
I don’t know about you, but Buy This Now! is something I’ve been looking forward to for a while, and it took every expectation I had and blew it clear out of the water! It’s one of those unskippable albums, the kind that just keeps topping itself song after song. Each track is crafted perfectly, served piping hot with a delicious coating of unique pizazz that is a mainstay of the signature Uni Boys sound.
There’s loads of highlights from the album, but the song that first caught my eye was “Hiding In My Home”, standing proudly at track three. From the very beginning, the song situates itself as a “dancing in the kitchen late at night” type, one whose guitar-bass combo signals a slight melancholy beneath the upbeat exterior driven by the drums. And oh, those drums! The constant cymbal crash, though subtle, adds so much to this track, especially when it doubles the vocals. The lyrics of the song are just as important too, with clever rhymes such as “I know just what they’ll say/’your look is so passe’” and “I’m often angry/but never cranky”. “Hiding in My Home” is an introvert’s dream, a perfect companion when human connection just isn’t the thing that’s needed.
It seems that no matter the music, no matter the band, I always have a soft spot for track 7 on any album. I’m happy to report that “I’m Alright” doesn’t break this streak! The guitars at the beginning had my brain thinking of The Pretenders, specifically “Talk of the Town”, with their drawn out and jangly sound. (It’s always a good thing when a song reminds you of The Pretenders!) However, it’s clear throughout that this is definitely a Uni Boys song, through and through. The backing harmonies are a standout of this one, not only because of the Lemon Twigs cameo! (Expected, since they produced the album, but still!!!) Songs with “ba ba ba” syllables in the backing vocals are always stellar. Just ask the Beach Boys!
“Intentions” is an awesome song, one that’s packed with more quick changes than the backstage area of a Broadway show. It’s the type of song that keeps a certain feeling for nearly the whole time, then switches up on you so quick you almost miss it. The power strum of the guitar during these changes are what makes those moments all the more powerful. This song has a melancholy sound in these turns, one that I thought sounded like a warning. However after a few listens & a quick lyrical analysis, “Intentions” is not a warning, but more of a form of well-advised guidance. Uni Boys take these adorably cheesy lyrics and shapes them into their glitteringly gleaming final form — a jam that can help you dance when you just wanna dance, but also one that can help you through hard times if that’s what you need. That, my friends, is the Uni Boys difference.
Another aspect of the Uni Boys difference is creating some of the best hooks in existence. Every single song on Buy This Now! was the type that, in the first few seconds, had me raising my eyebrows and letting out an embarrassingly audible hum of approval. However, in my opinion, no song has a better hook on this album than the very last track, “Be My Baby Tonight”. It has a slight false-start aspect to it, one I find makes me more excited for a song to start, whether that’s five seconds or five minutes later. This song follows the usual Uni Boys theme of genuine, happy, lovey-dovey sweetness, and it’s irresistible. I love the instrumental swell that leads to the second part of the chorus, the quiet harmony of the backing vocals, the way those same backing vocals explode into a chorus of “aaa”s, the nice “ooo”’s of the backing vocals… did I mention I really liked the backing vocals on this song? However, probably my favorite aspect of this song is the ending line of “baby won’t you be my baby tonight”. Just those words stick in my head the same way the melody of a song usually does. Maybe it’s the built in tongue twister it provides. Say that ten times fast…
Uni Boys did had that “it” factor with their first album, Do It All Next Week, and they continue to have this same “it” in Buy This Now!, perhaps to a higher degree. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what “it” is, and I’ve come up with a few theories. “It” could refer to dizzyingly dazzling drums, perfectly harmonizing guitars, the best backing vocals in the land, shredding bass. While these are all perfectly good, after much deduction I’ve decided that the “it factor” refers to choosing the most eye-catching album names. I mean come on… just tell me you wouldn’t pick up an album with the name Buy This Now! in the record store. It’s literally telling you what to do! Never before has an album name rung true the way this one does. So take a hint and Buy This Now!
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