New Boyz
Skinny Jeanz And A Mic
A lot of people are going to take one look at the New Boyz [click to read] and write them off completely. The skinny jeans, the garish colors, and the jerkin dance craze they represent will be too much for some. That’s a shame because while the group may not be breaking any new ground with their music, they do have a handful of worthwhile songs on their first album, Skinny Jeanz and a Mic. What some people find repugnant about the New Boyz is actually what makes them likeable, these guys genuinely seem to be only interested in making the most fun, simple, catchy music possible. And while they may end up with more chaff then wheat on their first long player there is no denying that they created a handful of good party songs.
The New Boyz have, to use the unfortunate parlance of the moment, “swagger.” Generally, swagger is used to describe actions that would likely get a normal person fired or possibly slapped, namely acting like a brazen jerk. The New Boyz are certainly guilty of acting that way, in fact their best song and first single is called “You’re a Jerk” on which they act like the rowdy teenagers they are and invite people to call them on it. The song’s energy perfectly captures the feeling of being a drunk and/or high 17 year-old when one of the greatest accomplishments in life is showing off to make your friends laugh and annoy others. And 17 year-olds are really the only people who should posses “swagger” because on anyone else it’s really just insufferable but kids can get away with it because, hey, they don’t really know any better. That brash feeling is present in the records best songs. On opener “Cricketz” they name check The Neptunes [click to read] and build a beat in that duo’s image, including chirping crickets meant to represent people who attempt to reduce the New Boyz as a fashion first, music second group. On “So Dope” they profess over a barely there beat that they are in fact just that and you almost believe them because they have the misguided confidence that only teenagers can or should posses. And on “Cashmere” they create a Hip Hop version of Superbad, two best friends capping on each other but also cracking each other up.
It’s too bad that they had to release a full length album because they just don’t have the material to fill it out. Tracks like “Dot Com” and “Bunz” try so hard to be catchy and silly that they end up grating. And “Way 2 Many Chickz” with its fart jokes and fat jokes crosses the line from enjoyably sophomoric to just plain dumb. But worst of all is the inexplicable run of slow jams that closes the album, from “Tie Me Down” through “One Night.” It’s impossible to imagine that anyone thought it was a good idea to backload the album with clearly insincere attempts at “I Need Love.” These guys work much better when they keep things light and up-tempo.
There just aren’t enough truly good songs to fully recommend this album to everyone. But there is enough respectable material here to justify the New Boyz' continued existence. Sure they aren’t saying much in their lyrics and their production at times borders on cartoonish but they have a knack for party music and for capturing the vibe of being young and out of control. If you want to dismiss these guys because they are goofy or because they are cocky, that’s fine. But remember what if felt like to be 17 and ask yourself if you really want to end up as the old man shaking his fist at the teenagers simply because they are making too much noise.
The New Boyz have, to use the unfortunate parlance of the moment, “swagger.” Generally, swagger is used to describe actions that would likely get a normal person fired or possibly slapped, namely acting like a brazen jerk. The New Boyz are certainly guilty of acting that way, in fact their best song and first single is called “You’re a Jerk” on which they act like the rowdy teenagers they are and invite people to call them on it. The song’s energy perfectly captures the feeling of being a drunk and/or high 17 year-old when one of the greatest accomplishments in life is showing off to make your friends laugh and annoy others. And 17 year-olds are really the only people who should posses “swagger” because on anyone else it’s really just insufferable but kids can get away with it because, hey, they don’t really know any better. That brash feeling is present in the records best songs. On opener “Cricketz” they name check The Neptunes [click to read] and build a beat in that duo’s image, including chirping crickets meant to represent people who attempt to reduce the New Boyz as a fashion first, music second group. On “So Dope” they profess over a barely there beat that they are in fact just that and you almost believe them because they have the misguided confidence that only teenagers can or should posses. And on “Cashmere” they create a Hip Hop version of Superbad, two best friends capping on each other but also cracking each other up.
It’s too bad that they had to release a full length album because they just don’t have the material to fill it out. Tracks like “Dot Com” and “Bunz” try so hard to be catchy and silly that they end up grating. And “Way 2 Many Chickz” with its fart jokes and fat jokes crosses the line from enjoyably sophomoric to just plain dumb. But worst of all is the inexplicable run of slow jams that closes the album, from “Tie Me Down” through “One Night.” It’s impossible to imagine that anyone thought it was a good idea to backload the album with clearly insincere attempts at “I Need Love.” These guys work much better when they keep things light and up-tempo.
There just aren’t enough truly good songs to fully recommend this album to everyone. But there is enough respectable material here to justify the New Boyz' continued existence. Sure they aren’t saying much in their lyrics and their production at times borders on cartoonish but they have a knack for party music and for capturing the vibe of being young and out of control. If you want to dismiss these guys because they are goofy or because they are cocky, that’s fine. But remember what if felt like to be 17 and ask yourself if you really want to end up as the old man shaking his fist at the teenagers simply because they are making too much noise.
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