Raise the volume until the neighbours complain. Because Brian Noyes just dropped a track called “The Boy You Love To Burn,” and it’s the kind of psych-tinged rock that reminds you why you fell in love with guitars in the first place.
Let’s get the credits straight because this thing is stacked. Noyes, the Seattle-based frontman, isn’t just some guy with a six-string. The dude is a veteran of the psych-pop group Tomten, and he’s been cutting his teeth as a touring keyboardist for the San Francisco outfit Papercuts. That gig alone gives him a pedigree that shows up in the textures here. You can hear the influence of his collaborators—the legendary Jason Quever (who’s produced for Beach House and Cass McCombs) helmed the sessions in Los Angeles, while Andy Meyer and Nicholas Wilbur handled the magic at The Unknown in Anacortes, Washington. That mix of LA polish and Washington grit gives this track a sizzle that’s hard to fake.
Noyes has a voice that cuts through the wall of sound, cool and confident, weaving through the psychedelic swirls. He’s supported acts like Gruff Rhys and Still Corners, and you can tell he’s learned how to command a room. This single, the second off his upcoming LP The Ringing World (due out August 28), is a promise. It says, “We’re not here to be background noise.”
If you’re tired of sterile rock, plug into this. It’s got a swagger that only comes from years in the trenches. Play it loud.