Review Summary: Boy Hits Car effectively fuse together hard rock with Eastern elements to form a rare, and surprisingly good style.
Boy Hits Car are a four piece Alternative-Hard Rock band hailing from Los Angeles, California who are known for covering a wide range of subject matter including personal rebirth, spirituality, self-reflection, freedom, sexuality, nature, and love; a style the band has emphatically dubbed "Lovecore." Sitars, twelve-string guitars, and bongos add an Indian element to their sound, which has also become an integral part of their style.
In 2001, the band released their major label debut,
Boy Hits Car, that brought them considerable underground success including a music video which saw time on MTVX. A year later, presumably due to the release of the album, they drew the attention of the WWF (now the WWE) who assigned them the task of creating an original entrance song for the wrestler Lita that would be featured during nationally televised programs, as well as on a WWF soundtrack entitled
Forceable Entry, along side premier Hard Rock acts like Disturbed, Marilyn Manson, Sevendust, and Rob Zombie. BHC completed the song "LoveFuryPassionEnergy" and was jolted into the mainstream where they amassed a whole new set of fans and garnered a level of success previously unreached.
The album starts off with "The Rebirth," which features acoustic strumming alongside bongo work, before erupting into the high-energy chorus with distorted guitars. "I'm A Cloud" was the first single released off the album; like the previously mentioned track, it begins at a moderate tempo before booming into a prototypical Hard Rock riff. "Lovecore (Welcome To)," "Turning Inward", and "Benkei" are also much of the same in this regard; however, each one retains it's own identity and special qualities that simultaneously keep them different from one another.
Boy Hits Car typically don't stray far from conventional song structures; rather, their focal points are derived from the lyrical content, vocal melodies, and their overall distinctive sound. For instance, in "Man Without Skin," vocalist Cregg sings, "Can you see the line where the water ends? Throws itself off into oblivion, as sky goes so complacent, and then spits a little compassion." The themes can often seem bizarre (i.e. track title "As I Watch The Sun Fuck The Ocean"), but are nearly always thought-provoking.
Another noteworthy track is "Going to India." Meant to have clear Eastern influence, it begins with, "Going to India when the love breaks. Going to India, watch all elephants," and subsequently kicks in with an upbeat rap-style vocal performance over more distorted guitar work. While it is not one of the strongest songs on the album, it's upbeat feel makes it one of the more memorable.
When one takes a step back and looks at the album as a whole, they'll see a dynamic product with immense personality. While some songs are naturally better than others ("Unheard" and "Before We Die" being the weaker), I'm comfortable saying there is no blatant filler on the record. Each song serves a purpose, and brings the listener on a wild ride of ups and downs that ultimately makes for a journey of furious serenity.
While one will not find jaw-dropping musicianship from Boy Hits Car; one will find raw, unhindered passion and a group of musicians who wear their heart on their sleeves. I had the privilege of seeing them live in 2008 at small venue in Upstate New York with a total audience of about 80 people; they came out and put on the single most intense live performance I've seen to date, which resulted in three separate encore chants. Boy Hits Car offer an authentic and refreshing style that if nothing else, should at least leave the listener appreciating their inventiveness.
Recommended listens:
"The Rebirth"
"Man Without Skin"
"Turning Inward"
"I'm A Cloud"
