Sea Monkey See – Boy Genius (2014)

On dark nights, Richard Ray of 100 Onces fame transforms to his ‘Sea Monkey’ moniker and is joined by Boy Genius (guitar) and Alpaca Bull (bass). Together they form an eccentric, lo-fi instrumental math rock powertrio called Sea Monkey See. You know, a proper Voltron type deal. They’re a peculiar type of vigilante squad. As the emo revival scene continues to blossom, as twinkly math rock groups with soft vocals and delicately tapped melodies proliferate, Sea Monkey See toss all maturity out the window, slam their foot on distortion pedals and tell us all to get fucked, both musically and physically. Call it the ‘fight against familiarity’.

Boy Genius is Sea Monkey See’s follow up to their first EP Sea Monkey Do (you may well have noticed the eponymous trend in their album names, and I can only presume that Alpaca Bull is next in line). Musically, Boy Genius uses many of the same elements as 100 Onces: there’s palm-muted distortion, crazy guitar licks and phrasings, start/stop dynamics and a lot of punk and hardcore sensibilities. The notably fresh element to Boy Genius is the heavy incorporation of throaty group vocals with charming nonsensical lyrics. This gives the album a bit of structure and poise, and also solidifies the outlandish nature of the band.

But I feel like I should be saying more here. After hearing so many overtly elegant releases of late, I’ve found myself craving for disorder and chaos. I’ve been waiting for something with a very flimsy and devil-may-care style blueprint. Simply put, I’ve been wanting to just get my ears dirty. I feel like when I listen to Boy Genius I am being pissed on. And for some reason I’m relishing in the situation.

If you’re looking for something reckless, look no further. I’ve been awaiting an album like Boy Genius, I really have.