Coming Around: The Boys Age’s “Maybe, Phantom Laughed Twice”

I’ve been pretty resistant to The Boys Age for 2013. This indie-pop duo have been releasing a near continuous stream of music into the digital wild, and has nabbed some nice label relations with, like, Burger Records. Something never clicked between me and their music though – most immediately, the vocals always sounded way too rough, taking the twee maxim of “anybody can do this” to a not particularly pleasant extreme. It just seemed like the latest example of Japan’s indie-pop scene about to pop, too many bands with not enough interesting ideas to go around.

Then, I caught them live. In a tiny bar with less than 10 people in attendance, I watched the duo rip out one of the most powerful sets I’ve seen all year. It was hardly the weak indie-pop I anticipated…it was wild, LOUD rock, their final song carrying on for nearly 20 minutes, captivating the whole time. It shook me up, and forced me to pay attention to these guys.

Here comes a new (or, more technically, remastered) song called “Maybe, Phantom Laughed Twice,” which showcases everything about The Boys Age that bowled me over in person. This one lasts for nearly 11 minutes, but not one of those seconds is squandered by the pair. It opens like one of Yo La Tengo’s album closers…and the psychedelic turns it takes bring that trio to mind too (it comes off an EP dedicated to them, afterall)…but The Boys Age really push this one. One reason it sounds good is the vocals don’t come across too clearly in the mix…the guitars, drums and electronic touches cover them, and they sound better not being so close to your ear. It’s a massive thing, that takes all sorts of twists and turns over its long run time. I’m aboard for now. Listen below.