Uni Boys

This record has been locked to my speakers for quite some time now and I’m excited to see it out in the world. West Coast power pop unit Uni Boys has been on a sterling run ever since their first few singles. They latch onto the genre’s early sensibilities, softening the sneers of punk, pairing thrumming hooks with hearts pinned plainly to their sleeves. The eponymous new album offers up the clearest vision of their pop pedigree yet as it launches them into the conversation alongside riff revivalists like The Lemon Twigs, Foxygen, and Billy Tibbals. Like The Twigs, the band has a penchant for the plush end of the power pop spectrum, spilling into the pristine shapes and shadows left by sunshine pop. The new record feels like a softer version of what they’ve been playing at the past few years. Their early record were dipped in the delights of late ‘70s pop, but this time they lean heavily into the hands of artists who pine without panting; a straightforward dip into the legacy of Brian Wilson as it trickled down through The Raspberries, Chris Bell, and Todd Rundgren.

Before, they’d let a few burrs into the mix, rankling the recordings with shades of 20/20, The Quick, and Milk n’ Cookies, but now the teenage angst is tossed aside in favor of something more pristine. The record’s maturity feels manifested from heartbreak rather than the usual wink n’ flirt that can fill the genre. The harmonies have tightened and the propulsion seems set on winning over the objects of their affections with brilliant hooks rather than breathless bravado. The band sums it up as they close out the album; “Is it really love without a broken heart?” The new album answers the question concisely, while I’ve long loved Uni Boys, that broken heart has turned out the best in them, offering up not only one of the best power pop records of the year, but certainly of the decade. Great to see ‘em shine.

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