“I feel like a hero and you are my heroine,” sung by Boys Like Girls, seemingly was the soundtrack to every teen girl on the planet back in 2006. A band that came together just a year earlier in 2005, the story of Boys Like Girls started in Andover, Massachusetts, when Vocalist/Guitarist Martin Johnson joined up with Bassist Bryan Donahue and Drummer John Keefe. Releasing their self-titled Boys Like Girls in 2006 through Columbia Records, their song “The Great Escape” marked their first big hit… and perhaps the one which sparked the band’s extended popularity.
Now seventeen years since then, Boys Like Girls may look a little different than you remember, but still are going strong with the release of the long overdue 2023 album Sunday at Foxwoods. Complete with Martin Johnson and John Keefe as their foundation, the newer members include Bassist Gregory James and Guitarist Jamel Hawke as part of the band’s first album in over a decade.
The first since 2012’s Crazy World, before that came 2009’s Love Drunk, but amidst the entire timeline of Boys Like Girls, there has been hiatuses as well as other solo projects. Leading us forward to Sunday at Foxwoods, which was released on October 20th through Fearless/Concord Records, the anticipation mounted, coming nearly five months after the release of the lead single/music video “Blood and Sugar.” To follow would be four other equally enticing singles – June’s “Language,” July’s “The Outside,” August’s “Cry” and September’s “New Love.” All received positive acclaim, what was left thereafter was seven more tracks to dig into a part of Sunday at Foxwoods.
Thirteen tracks in total, Sunday at Foxwoods is proof that some things do last for decades, and this album’s tone is set loudly with “Outside.” From here, the entire collection offers you a seemingly ’80s Pop-vibed sound. So, considering that the classics are making a comeback… that only means Sunday at Foxwoods has to be pretty good, right? The answer is that it is, and the ’80s vibe is very present, but especially on the single “Blood and Sugar,” as well as “Physical.” Both layered heavily with synths and drums, it surprisingly mixes very well with Johnson’s voice.
Then there are those songs that are slower, show stronger emotions, and compliment Johnson’s voice too; like the single “Cry,” but also “Lost in Wonderland.” Unique to the rest of the songs on Sunday at Foxwoods, they are less musically fixated and more about the lyrics themselves. Speaking of which, the words of these two selections are emotionally heavier and might even send a slight shiver down your spine. Looking deeper into “Cry,” it is meant for a heartfelt lover, and it is Johnson’s performance that truly makes it feel special.
Overall, Sunday at Foxwoods gives you more of a mature sounding Boys Like Girls. An interesting new artistic direction for the band, it could truly be the best thing they could do in their return. Speaking of such, they have some international touring planned for 2024 starting in March. Because of all the changes they have made, and the sense of growth they are showing as a band, Cryptic Rock gives Sunday at Foxwoods 5 out of 5 stars.
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