The Boy Least Likely To – The Great Perhaps

You’ll Most Likely Love This

If you made your first foray into the world of indie rock, maybe as a young adult in the late ’90s and early 2000s, you were probably treated to echos of Belle and Sebastian-like melodies, Ben Gibbard’s brand of sad Seattle rock or clapped along to Rilo Kiley during your freshman year of college. The Boy Least Likely To has been there all along. This twee-ish duo has graced popular TV commercials and movie soundtracks without getting the proper recognition (most likely since they weren’t in some big Zach Braff-directed rom com). This English outfit drops The Great Perhaps, a cute and quirky piece of nostalgia that makes you do stupid things like wear scarves in the summer and buy a headphone splitter to listen to said album with that girl that probably hates you.

“I Keep Falling In Love With You Again” mixes nutty 8-bit arpeggios and sugary sweet (but equally gut-wrenching) melodies. This is some serious mixtape fuel. You want to win that girl with the bangs who hangs out at the comic book store? Throw this on a 60-minute Maxell.

“Taking Windmills For Giants” is the epitome of mid-2000s twee. It harkens back to TV-commercial artists like I’m From Barcelona and The Polyphonic Spree. The added synths and punchy drum parts make this a go-to for Sunday bubble fights or whatever you think Zooey Deschanel does after drunk yoga.

“Michael Collins” tones it down with a ballad of sorts. The duo’s ode to astronaut Michael Collins is a love song, not to girls, but the never-ending romance between man and space. Pete Hobbs and Jof Owen sing, “When you see things from a distance / then you see things as they are.” Imagine floating miles away from Earth and taking in the big picture of our existence and smashing it into one 4-minute pop song. You better be watery-eyed by now.

“Thank You For Being My Friend” closes the album with the most bittersweet sentiment you could think of: thanks for being there, bro. That’s all that really matters, right? What good are fun, heartfelt jams when you can’t share it with people you care about? The Boy Least Likely To gets it. Even if this album is picked clean for the sake of that new Prius commercial, know that Toyota is better off. This is music to hug to and kiss to. It’s pretty simple.