Album/EP

Boston Manor - DESPERATE TIMES DESPERATE PLEASURES (EP Review)

Walladmin

Heavy Metal Wordsmith

Oct 29, 2021

7 min read

Boston Manor – DESPERATE TIMES DESPERATE PLEASURES
Released: October 29th, 2021

Lineup:

Henry Cox // vocals
Mike Cunniff // guitar
Ash Wilson // guitar
Dan Cunniff // bass
Jordan Pugh // drums

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Surprise! It’s an EP from Boston Manor! With a subtle lead up and very little warning, the English rockers announced DESPERATE TIMES DESPERATE PLEASURES on Wednesday and dropped it two days later. This EP follows up from their 2020 album GLUE, and DTDP is proving to be a very cool progression that showcases a darker, edgier tone.

Kicking off with their first single ‘Carbon Mono’, the first lyric ‘Desperate times call for desperate measures’ is distorted and dark and leads into a rocking industrial track that immediately sets the tone for the rest of the EP. Heavy synths are introduced from the get go, and it’s probably the most energetic song on the EP. ‘Algorithm’ drones into being and morphs into a slick guitar riff before backing off and letting Henry Cox’s vocals come in crooning overtop. It’s seductive with a bit of smug attitude and feels like a song you’d play when the sun goes down.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p34YXU_AtxE

Tracks that have a second vocal melody line that complements the main vocals just hit that little bit differently. It’s such a small aspect of ‘Desperate Pleasures’ but it really adds a different dimension. Listen for the catchy chorus, and stay for the way the song progresses in such a simple way.

‘I Don’t Like People (& They Don’t Like Me)' really makes use of some reverb on plucked guitar notes that then becomes the base melody through the whole song. But the closing song, ‘Let The Right One In’ is moody, emotional, and almost a dark love song. Sonically, this song has an air of heavy and an unhinged feeling about it that leaves you with an unsatisfied feeling, in a good way though!

This entire EP feels like a pandemic piece with themes of unsettledness and isolation backed by synthy alt rock tunes. DESPERATE TIMES DESPERATE PLEASURES is a darker offering from Boston Manor and they’ve substituted their upbeat rock vibe for a moody, attitude filled soundscape. Like all music, it's a product of the times and this is one we'll be able to look back on and remember how we all felt during the lockdowns and social isolation. Listen to this EP at night with a glass of red or spirits in hand.