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Album Review: Roy Pablo (2017) by Boy Pablo

Genre: Pop

You may have seen Boy Pablo’s video constantly popping up in your Youtube recommendation feed, and that is no mistake. Though I had never heard of Boy Pablo before or any of his work, the 18-year old Norwegian and his high school friends are destined for success. Boy Pablo writes a six-track EP, Roy Pablo, that has a happy, yet melancholic vibe and is comparable to the likes of Mac Demarco and Mild High Club. I turned his music on as I started my homework and almost like white noise, I nearly forgot it was there; the cohesiveness of the album in tandem with my business brilliantly meshed all six songs into one long piece. His first song, “Yeah (Fantasizing)”, begins with an electrifying guitar solo then settles on a steady, subtle drum beat. These instruments are key throughout the entire song, producing a chill beat reminiscent of good times with a little angst. Pablo is a man of few words as perhaps his most popular and second song in the album, “Everytime”, is just described as being “about dating.” This song follows the troubles of internet dating, describing it almost as unauthentic. “Dance With Me, Baby” is the album’s third song and will probably be the one that is stuck in my head for a week. The song tells the story of a lonely guy in the club, just wanting to dance with a girl who has clearly chosen another man. While the circumstance may not be totally relatable, everyone has had that “why not me?” thought – whether that be with colleges, sports, or relationships. Following “Dance With Me, Baby” is “imreallytiredthisdaysucks’’ and the lyrics stay true to its name: this song is, as Pablo describes it, “about a sucky day.” There is an interesting take on what a sucky day is though, because the band utilizes the guitar and drums, proposing the idea that even though it was a sucky day, just move on. My favorite song of the album is “ur phone”; fifth on the album, its music video is pretty epic as well — a camera filming the rear-view camera monitor in a car as Pablo sings his song. The song is about two teens in love, and though it only features two verses, it very clearly relays the story of indecisiveness and hesitation that comes with young love. The final song, “Ready / Problems”, is about a relationship. It is slower than the rest and is a great close to the album, completing the story of the lonely boy and his fantasy girl. All in all, I really did enjoy listening to Roy Pablo and am stoked to hear the new work that he will release in 2018.

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