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Ugly Boys just released “Old News,” the follow-up to their debut single, “Bad Language.” Made up of Tyler, Paul, Benton, and Cole, Ugly Boys dishes out atmospheric ’80s-flavored pop that’s elegant and contagious.
The song, according to the band, “is about chasing someone but they never come around until it’s too late. It’s also the song we wrote and then right after said ‘we should probably make this into a real band’ haha.”
“Old News” opens with trilling, shimmering synths and a pop groove that’s been kissed with tints of disco-pop lipstick. The extended bassline propels the song along, as the buoyant colors of the synths imbue the tune with lighthearted, layered harmonics.
Delicate falsettos waft deliciously over the music, harmonizing the complementary textures into radiant tones. It’s the kind of harmony rarely achieved in today’s pop music – cool, clean, and effortless. The Beach Boys had it, and so do Ugly Boys, only that Ugly Boys’ harmonies are less strident, more eloquent, and elegant.
There’s a singular brightness to “Old News.” It ripples with kaleidoscopic colors and smoothly drifting tones full of nonchalant, spacious energy. The “feel good” quality makes it the kind of song you can listen to over and over, without tiring of it. It doesn’t become cloying, retaining its tasty essence over time.
Ugly Boys have it going on. Gorgeous vocal harmonies and a captivating melody make “Old News” a definite winner. It’s a song that should put them on pop’s radar and lead to big things.
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