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Review: Nightmare Boyzzz/Younger Siblings - Split 7”

Listening to the Nightmare Boyzzz/Younger Siblings split isn’t complete without a big piece of sugary Bubble Yum to smack around in your mouth. This is a breezy, carefree, don those shades, blow some bubbles, play with a dandelion, and lay on a blanket in the springtime sun kind of album—well in sound at least… content, well that’s another story.

About the Nightmare Boyzzz, there really isn’t anything nightmare-ish; we aren’t channeling black metal here. It’s more than that southern gentleman, Alabama charm; the music debunks any sinister connotations within seconds, so put away the goth makeup, we aren’t going there, guys. Musically and personally, these fellas are as sweet as cotton candy, as warm as the sun’s rays, which pairs great with the beachy, bubbly feel of their ditties…Now, hold on, I’m just talking musically here, because under the surface there are deep ponderings in the lyrics.

“My Body Breaks Down” is an all around paradox. You think, “oh this is happy and beachy, let me bop my head to the ‘whooooaaaaa oooooo whooooiiiooooooo, and smack around that bubble gum in my mouth,’” but under the giddy catchiness are larger issues about the uncertainty that riddles life and death; it’s just obscured by the veneer of pure surfy pop. And you can relate (sadly), the repeated “I will never see you”’s cause your heart to wonder about that special someone, who no matter how much you wish, you will never see again. It’s deep, but you can’t cry because the music won’t let you go there. And for that, I thank you Nightmare Boyzzz, I don’t wanna cry. “Devil III” is a ribbon-winning jam. Here you aren’t being tricked, you know something dark is buried underneath the guitar licks, the crashing cymbals, and melodious vocals. If your hair is long enough (and it should be) then it’s going to be flying through the air as you bang your head along to the overpowering guitar and intoxicatingly catchy vocals. You can still dance to the foreboding. I want to pair our southern gents with some Hex Dispensers and Mind Spiders. If this is your cup of (spiked) ice tea, then we are on the same rock and roll picnic here.

Younger Siblings’ contribution continues the dreamy but takes it to a much higher level of poppy wonderfulness. You are going to see rainbows and bunnies and kitties bouncing around to the keyboards—someone should make them an animated gif! “My Dream” references the way we toy with the emotions of others, and often with little regard. All under the haze of harmoniously gooey vocals, they spill their musical recipe, “singing all your songs till your voice gets really hoarse, moving progressively from the chorus to the verse,” he continues (and here’s where I disagree) “all of my songs just get worse and worse.” NUH-UH, pal. “William Eggleston” continues just where “My Dream” left off; we even get another taste of the song writing recipe, “I wrote a new song, and it feels really good, so all my friends can sing to new melodies, but I forgot the words…” Oh yeah, this song is about hoping your friends don’t die…

These guys are tricksters; they’re playing lovely pop while wading through murkier waters. Now what’s that aphorism about not judging things from the surface? Yeah, well that rings true here, too.

Released on Spring Street Records and fully streamable here.