Boytoy – Grackle

Boytoy – Grackle

It may be October, but Brooklyn’s Boytoy is determined to remind us of summer with their laid back, fuzz filled debut, Grackle, and you can almost feel the sun beating down on your face while you listen to it. The trio describes themselves as a truly collaborative band, and that shines through on every song. The guitar, vocals and drums are all showcased in their own way, and together they have created a sweet, bubbly sound with enough of an attitude that you can still call them punk.

Grackle opens with “Postal,” a driving and energetic track with a beat you can’t help but dance to. Here we are introduced to Saara Untracht-Oakner’s cheery voice that cuts through all the fuzz of the guitars to lift spirits and make heads bop. Shortly after, “Building an Empire” highlights the indie rock vocals of Glenn Van Dyke. While this sudden switch-up may at first be a shock for those who have already become enamored with Untracht-Oakner’s poppy, smiling voice when the two of them sing in unison, it’s clear why they started making music together – they fit perfectly. This harmony comes through many times on the album, like on the groovy “Owe Somebody” and the closing track, “Can’t Get It” which also demonstrates how their voices work when alternating back and forth. From start to finish, whoever is taking the lead on vocals, Boytoy is making the kind of music that will appeal to punk fans, indie rock fans and anyone else looking for something they can move to.

Boytoy seems to thrive on balancing different styles and finding a way for the musicians to complement each other effortlessly. With wailing, fuzzy, Dinosaur Jr. type guitar, enjoyably saccharine vocals and totally laid back drums, the band has found a way to blend pop into punk, without making pop punk. While it’s nothing groundbreaking or the record of the year, Grackle is a hell of a debut and leaves the door open for some awesome records in the future.