Great new band - 'the boy least likely to'

I tend to change my 'favorites' fairly often. The best band ever is quickly replaced by the next best band ever and so on. I'm going to have to go with Whitman and blame it on an inner barbaric yawp. There is just so much great stuff out there you can't stick with one thing for too long.

Every once in a while though, a 'category-killer' comes along, something so perfect in its own way that it captures a particular place in the heart for all time. "the boy least likely to" is one of these bands, occupying for me anyway the best spirited band ever. I have been giving my friends that have babies their album "the best party ever" as this is the kind of music that you know growing up listening to will turn you into a good human being.

The best party ever certainly has the happiest album cover ever, showing a group of cartoon animals in a band together. This graphic style can be found all over their website and in their videos as well (you must check out the videos).

Musically the album has the same happy, childlike spirit. If the Shins had a baby with Nick Drake, the music their child would make during its youth would be this album. It has a sing-song style with bright guitar and fun instruments like bells in it. The lyrics are quite clever and heartbreakingly sweet. "my tiger my heart" is my favorite track on the album. It's a puff the magic dragon type ditty about a boy drifting apart from his tiger friend as he grows up. "It's hard sometimes, to be friends with someone that eats butterflies, and pencil sharpeners" Jof, the vocalist, sings. The songs are not cloying though, and speak to a smart and mature audience. "Monsters" for example looks at the classic Ionescoian theme of everyone around you turning into a monster and beginning to lead a conventional life.

I love, love, love this album. No matter what kind of day you are having, this can put you in a good mood. If you hate this album, you probably need to spend more time in the sunshine (and spend some more quality time with your long lost stuffed animals). Give this band money. They deserve it.