Dead Boys | ||||
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EP by | ||||
Released | 20 November 2018 | |||
Recorded | 2017–2018 | |||
Genre | Heartland rock | |||
Label | Polydor Records | |||
Producer |
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Sam Fender chronology | ||||
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Dead Boys is the debut extended play by English musician, Sam Fender. The EP was released on 20 November 2018 through Polydor Records.[1][2][3] The EP includes the singles "Leave Fast", "Dead Boys" and "That Sound".
Talking about the EP, Rough Trade said, "There's an edge to Fender's songs that can also make him tremble. The surging, urgent Dead Boys deals explicitly with male suicide and mental health issues, and has caused outpourings of emotion among a growing band of followers. All of Sam’s songs tend to feature a resonance and socially-aware, socially-pertinent message. It's what helps to define him, and makes him leap-frog the endless slew of winsome singer-songwriters that sound fine, but have precisely nothing to say for themselves. Leave Fast is slower, plaintive chords allowing lines about boy racers, sand dunes and shitty pubs to bring the stark images of Fender’s hometown to life. The spiky riffing on Poundshop Kardashians finds Fender struggling to make sense of vacuous celebrity and the throwaway nature of vast swathes of modern culture. The Dead Boys EP finds space for a thank you to music itself. His next gambit, the seismic That Sound, wriggles and bangs through a melody that supports the big-hearted idea that music keeps Sam Fender on the straight and narrow. It’s always been his only viable option."[4]
Dominic Lee from The Courier, gave the EP a positive review, stating, "I was wrong about Sam Fender. He's the real deal. Dead Boys blows my mind every time I listen to it. The Prelude opens with a beautiful arpeggio guitar segment overlayed with cascading strings and Sam’s distant vocals crying out in an almost hymn-like introduction before the guitar deepens in the transition to the title track. Dead Boys is an anthem for men in the modern world, an introspective look into the very real world of male suicide and how this is often overlooked. Fender shows real lyrical talent on this track, resonating with issues that many men- and people in general- are often reluctant to talk about and bringing them to the forefront of his music."[5]
All tracks are written by Sam Fender
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Dead Boys" (Prelude) | 2:00 |
2. | "Dead Boys" | 3:21 |
3. | "Spice" | 2:21 |
4. | "Poundshop Kardashians" | 2:39 |
5. | "That Sound" | 3:25 |
6. | "Leave Fast" | 3:47 |
Country | Release date | Format | Label |
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United Kingdom | 20 November 2018 | Polydor Records |