Cola Boyy's debut full-length,
Prosthetic Boombox, kicks off with a song that's equal parts heartfelt outsider art and slick neo-disco jam. Produced by
the Avalanches and featuring the keyboard work of
John Carroll Kirby, "Don't Forget Your Neighborhood" positively overflows with heart and has the kind of hook that's hard to shake. Hours later, it'll still be running around the brain's pleasure center like a hyperactive dog chasing a squirrel; chances are good that the warm feelings that
Matthew Urango's lyrics and sentiments engender will be hanging around up there too. The rest of the album is a similarly wonderful delight that comes in many different flavors of danceable pop. There's the loping groove of "Mailbox," the funky soft R&B of "For the Last Time," the glitchy disco jam "Mink," and the loose-limbed French touch of "Roses." All of it is polished to a reflective shine by a cadre of producers like
Nicolas Godin of
Air, the aforementioned
Avalanches,
Andrew VanWyngarden of
MGMT,
infinite bisous, and
Myd. Along with the tunes designed to get feet moving, there are some songs made for quieter, more introspective moments. The lush late-night pop of "Kid Born in Space" and the gloomy '70s soul-bummer ballad "One of These Winters Will Take Me" show a different, even more sensitive side of
Cola Boyy. At the core of all these great songs -- no matter the mood or tempo -- lies
Urango's soul; it beams out of him like the bat signal on a cloudy night. He's taken the lumps that life has given him and turned them around, crafting inspirational music that's uplifting and raw beneath the shimmering surfaces. Delivered in a voice that at times calls to mind a laid-back
Daniel Johnston, the lyrics tell of his struggles as a young man, a disabled man, and one at the fringes of society, with clear-eyed, unvarnished honesty. Only those who have led a charmed life will be able to listen to "Go the Mile" and not feel at least a bittersweet twinge of recognition. That's not the only song where a deeper listen will reveal some realness and truth; the whole album is brimming with it. It's rare that an artist can capture such deepness while also making music that's so easy to dance or chill out to at the same time -- music that hurts and heals at the same time.
Cola Boyy has done it, and
Prosthetic Boombox is essential listening for anyone looking for some tears and strength mixed in with their thumping beats and glitter. ~ Tim Sendra
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