Boxbomb

“My Obsession”

Tragic Hero Records

Being released on Tragic Hero Records, “My Obsession” really caught me off guard. It isn’t the Akissforjersey or Scapegoat Tragic Hero release I thought it was going to be, but something else entirely.

“My Obsession” is beautiful even beyond the music, from the band photo in the liner notes to the album artwork, it’s all great.

But let us move to the meat and potatoes of it, the music completes the whole thing. “My Obsession” is tragically striking, dark and pretty, and musically stunning. Everything I didn’t expect it to be essentially. “My Obsession” is an eccentrically necessary record to say the least.

“My Obsession” and “Further” were strong getting into it, and the multi-leveled guitar work of “Not the Same” kept me smiling and bobbing. “Good Boy” is an acoustic interlude that breaks the album up while giving it depth at the same time, leading right into the almost alt-country feel of “Let Go.” Ryan Gustafson’s knack for strong melody shines through on “Look Past,” turning it almost into a surprising sing-along, and this song also showcases the subtle beauty of Boxbomb’s musicianship, as well as their ability to write well-built songs.

“My Obsession” is fantastic, and if you’ve yet to hear Boxbomb, stop reading this and go listen to them. OK, not really, but listen to them after you are done reading. And if modern radio is reading this, you’d do best to jump on this bandwagon soon.