Signed to Odd Box Records, Suggested Friends are a beloved queer DIY punk band who specialise in power-pop hooks, fantastic harmonies and lyrics that tackle the ignorant nature of some members of society. Their self-titled debut LP is one to cherish.
It opens with the Harry Potter-referencing ‘I Don’t Wanna Be a Horcrux for Your Soul’, a jangly song about an adulterous relationship that did not end well for either side: ‘I still think about you daily’; ‘I can’t pretend I’m sorry that I left you’; ‘Call me a psychopath’; and ‘Just because you’re married to him doesn’t make it worse’. The awesomely titled ‘Motherfucking Tree’ follows and this duet opens with a comparison of the back of the iPhone to a halo before then urging someone to look forward and to move on. With chunky Sl0tface-style riffs, ‘Chicken’ has Faith Taylor looking back on a past mistake when they may have missed the chance of happiness – ‘I don’t know if I loved her or if I chickened out’.
‘Menagerie of Cats’ is a slower affair that reminded us of Tegan and Sara, while the sadness of ‘ I Called Her Out in the Worst Way’ can’t fail to make you think about the nature of life and the way people act. Another song that tackles derogatory comments and looks is ‘Please Don’t Look at Me on the Bus’. Faith challenges the way others ‘always got so many words to say’ and pleads ‘don’t’ make a fantasy of us’ and to just ‘imagine we are friends. It’s a plea to let people be whoever they want to be and the guitar work is as jaunty and catchy as The Spook School.
The final ‘If I Were More Gullible (I’d Be a Gull)’ focuses on worries and anxieties and urges people to talk over any troubles and issues they have. It’s a plea to ‘turn the light on’ and has a grandstand finish. After listening to this addictive album, you’ll want to become more familiar with Suggested Friends.
Filed under: Album review, New music, Preview Tagged: Album review, alternative music, DIY music, indie music, new music, Odd Box Records, queer, queer music, rock music, Suggested Friends
