Any thoughts on this band?
Auld Music Not to Be Forgot
By NEIL STRAUSS
January 5, 2004
'A Guide for the Daylight Hours'
Ballboy
Last year was a strong one for Scottish indie-rock bands. Belle & Sebastian released "Dear Catastrophe Waitress," their best album since "If You're Feeling Sinister"; the Delgados released their most ambitious and orchestrated record to date, "Hate"; and after a series of provocative EP's, Ballboy finally released its debut full-length album, "A Guide for the Daylight Hours" (Manifesto).
Ballboy fits squarely into a tradition of brainy, idiosyncratic, thick-accented bands that emerged from Britain in the 80's, such as the Wedding Present and Half Man Half Biscuit. Its "Daylight Hours" stands as one of the best indie-rock releases of last year. That CD's potency lies in the match of softly fuzzed-out guitars, string arrangements that take each song to a crescendo, and the wickedly dry wit of the singer Gordon McIntyre. In some of the band's best moments, Mr. McIntyre delivers spoken, conversational monologues over a swirl of cello-driven rock.
An elementary school teacher by day, Mr. McIntyre specializes in feeling the weight of the world, jilting the women who don't jilt him and not being as hip as people who work at record stores. And he is proud to be this way, stubbornly so. "A fear of failure won't hold me back from hoping someday you'll be mine," he sings in "I Wonder if You're Drunk Enough to Sleep With Me Tonight." With song titles like "I Lost You but I Found Country Music" and "Sex Is Boring," this CD is clever and engaging at every turn.
