<\/p>\n
On their fourth studio album, Viagra Boys are about as subtle as a chainsaw \u2014 and as noisy as one too. The Swedish post-punk ensemble has never shied away from the rowdier side of the musical world, but on viagr aboys<\/em>, they don\u2019t merely flirt with the grime \u2014 they douse themselves in it. The result is lead vocalist Sebastian Murphy cosplaying a rascal, squealing about the plight of the average 20-something and poking at a society that shapes such pungent zillenial dread.<\/p>\n Viagra Boys have always had something to say through less-than-graceful mannerisms. But their latest release differs in its (relative) step back from political messaging. In a press release<\/a>, Murphy expands further.<\/p>\n \u201cThe whole political thing was exhausting,\u201d Murphy said. \u201cThis is like a self-titled album but a bit simple and stupid \u2014 because that\u2019s how I am.\u201d<\/p>\n Clearly, the band has taken a more introspective approach in their latest release. This is especially evident in tracks such as \u201cMedicine for Horses,\u201d a gentle and oddly pretty<\/em> <\/strong>tonal shift from the aggressive evisceration patterned throughout the rest of the album. Instead of hollering about the woes of capitalism, Murphy laments \u2014 he laments his fantasies of the American West and North American plains; he laments about barreling a car into a wall and his one true love. Twinkling synths are sandwiched between warbling guitar notes and Murphy\u2019s destructive yearning. It\u2019s an intimacy unlike anything else in Viagra Boys\u2019 repertoire.<\/p>\n