Boston Manor “GLUE” Album Review

With the release of their debut album Be Nothing. in 2016, British band Boston Manor made a promising impression on the pop punk scene and rapidly gained a following. Since then, they have taken steps away from their pop punk roots, reinventing themselves with each new release. Their experimentation with genres has undoubtedly worked in their favor thus far, proving every member to be eclectically skilled in songwriting and imagery.

The band’s third album, GLUE, unveils a side of them that is heavier and more abrasive than anything they have done before. The harshness of the sound accentuates the album’s “rallying cry” theme, making for a record that acts as a heated protest to the modern world.

The album opens with “Everything is Ordinary”, a fast and chaotic tune with elements of hard rock and glitchy electronic. Its blustery energy emphasizes its lyrical themes about humanity turning a blind eye to obvious world issues (Put on your plastic smile / Why don’t you hide in the grey for a while? / Are we just comfortably numb?). It is definitely a song that will startle any older Boston Manor fan at first listen. However, while the excessive use of vocal effects in this track may scare some off, the song is far from being a representation of GLUE’s sound as a whole.

The intense “On a High Ledge” touches on toxic masculinity and how it is the cause of numerous male suicides. The tension that gradually builds throughout the track elicits a feeling of pressure and anticipation, allowing you to see from the perspective of such victims. It bluntly gets its message across using minimal lyrics and simple song structure, resulting in an incredibly memorable song you’ll definitely be coming back to.

Britpop-inspired “Plasticine Dreams” exposes the lies of the entertainment industry, and what it takes from the artists and performers involved. While it is one of the lighter songs on the album, its motives are no less persistent. Vocalist Henry Cox describes its message as “how art is treated as ‘content’; one minute something is plastered everywhere you look and the next it’s faded into obscurity.”

Cox shows off his screaming chops more than ever before throughout GLUE, especially in tracks like “1’s & 0’s” and “You, Me & the Class War”. Blaring guitars and pummeling drums accompany his piercing screams, creating a raucous and turbulent energy. This unpredictable nature mirrors the erratic behavior of the modern world.

While most of the writing on GLUE is fueled by feelings of anger and resentment, the softer “Terrible Love” and “Stuck in the Mud” show the band’s more vulnerable side. You can hear the trembling in Cox’s voice as he sings about seeking validation and the emotional struggles of growing older. The subtle piano and floaty guitars bleed seclusion and weariness, bringing tonal variation without straying from the album’s themes of merciless ambition.

The album closes with the raging “Monolith”, a finale that ensures this is a record you won’t forget.  The song flips the bird to the tyranny and greed of the upper class as Cox shouts, “Hey you, fuck you too / I’ll do what I want when I want to / You’ve already got it all / How could you ever need some more?” It’s a powerful ending to an album focused on bluntly describing the current state of humanity.     

It is undeniable that Boston Manor had to push themselves hard to grind out such a striking, adrenaline-ridden collection of songs. The band have repeatedly proven themselves to be masters of writing catchy hooks in several styles, and GLUE is no exception. This album is a callout to the detrimental sides of humankind, bringing to light the corrupt priorities of the elite and ways society has evolved. If you need a cathartic release from the deplorable news articles you come across every day, give this record a listen – you won’t regret it.

Favorite tracks: 1’s & 0’s, Plasticine Dreams