BOYGIRL - DEMO LP

BoyGirl is comprised of the members of Cooler Kids! I'm not sure why they switched to this name, but they did. The new material isn't the same as the Cooler Kids stuff in a number of ways... It's got a darker edge to it. The lighthearted pop is gone. However, that's not to be unexpected. The more familiar I became with Kaz Gamble's music, the more I realized he was drawn to darker, more sinister projects. At least he likes to dip his toes in evil's swimming pool. There's a great big feeling lurking behind all of these songs. I feel like if Kaz ever let go and embraced his potential, he'd spearhead another industrial empire similar to the one Praga Khan created with Lords Of Acid, Channel X and any one of a number of side projects he developed. As it stands now, Gamble moves from one collaboration to another and usually lets his collaborator decide on the direction the music will go.

The downside to this approach is his collaborators. In the case of Sisely Treasure, she's a limited singer and dancer. She could be awesome under the right direction, but when she's left to her own devices she writes mediocre lyrics and substandard dance moves. She needs a target to shoot for and in a situation where the target isn't as obvious as filling in for the former lead singer of an already established group, she can't define herself. Letting her take the lead produces disappointing results.

Despite the occasional embarrassing lyric, the CD features more highlights than let-downs. The opening track 'Catch Me', is a great opener. It's energetic and on the light side. It would've worked as a Cooler Kids track. It's followed up by my favorite track on the disc and also the track that indicates the minor themes of the album. It's a song about almost stalker-like waiting and an obsessive interest in another person. It's odd, disproportionate and brilliant. 'Take Me There' is another potential Cooler Kids number. However, it deals with a woman wanting her man to open up to her. 'Roses' has an incredible music track, but the lyrics deal with a lolita-like tale of a young girl.

'Stranded', 'Beginning To End' and 'Missing U' are all songs with great music tracks and even some interesting vocal arrangements. 'Last Breath' is the next track that really stands out. The music reminds me of a Nine Inch Nails song, but I can't quite put my finger on which one. I'll have to research it further and edit this entry later to include it.

The rest of the album falls into the roughly the same category... The music is strong, different and inventive. The lyrics often fall into generic themes with some interesting vocal arrangements from time to time. The last two numbers, 'GBoys/BBoys' and 'Diamond Age' are both interesting and unique enough to merit some attention. All in all, this is a noteworthy (though somehow incomplete) follow-up to the Cooler Kids disc. It certainly does give one the feeling greater things could come, but since the duo have disbanded and no longer record together, it's a shot in the dark. However, if you really loved Cooler Kids and felt jipped when the group disbanded after one album, here's your chance to get that final high before you quit them cold turkey. Don't count Kaz Gamble or Sisely Treasure out just yet. Both continue to make music and there's always a chance one of them will see success in one incarnation or another. My final words: AN EPILOGUE OF SORTS, BUT STILL ENJOYABLE.

BOYGIRL - DEMO LP
01. Catch Me
02. Krush
03. Take Me There
04. Roses
05. Stranded
06. Beginning To End
07. Missing U
08. Last Breath
09. Comfortable
10. So Famous
11. Allright
12. I Want You
13. GBoys/BBoys
14. Diamond Age