Forming just under a decade ago, Cali natives Destroy Boys have been churning out music on a pretty regular basis. In fact, with the release of their fourth album, you could say they’re dropping new music with consistency. The real question is whether they’re able to push and progress their sound within that time. Thankfully, with ‘Funeral Soundtrack #4’, the answer is a resounding yes.
Opening with ‘Bad Guy’, it’s a meandering, bass heavy track that slowly builds to a crescendo of harmonies and powerhouse instrumentation. Frontperson Alexia Roditis’ vocals are distinctive, bouncing between lackadaisical and soaring, and set the scene nicely for the remainder of the record. If you’re familiar with Destroy Boys, you’ll be accustomed to their rhythmic prowess, and ‘Bad Guy’ sits into their discography with ease.
‘Beg For The Torture’ contains some subtle but well placed cowbell and call-and-response vocals from Roditis and guitarist Violet Mayugba in what’s possibly their most hardcore track to date. ‘Amor Divino’, meanwhile, leans into a more latin vibe; heavy with bossa nova verses and sung entirely in Spanish, both tracks show their comfortability with expanding their sound to touch new genres, as well as the safety they now feel in the skin. ‘Shadow (I’m Breaking Down)’ sees Roditis bouncing ably between Spanish and English without missing a beat, accompanied by dynamic rhythms and a seriously catchy chorus professing the Jungian theory of the Shadow Self.
‘Plucked’ and ‘Praying’ contain two of the biggest hooks in their respective choruses, and it’s something Destroy Boys have really nailed down in their last couple of releases – big, anthemic singalongs and dexterous, memorable vocal performances that float delicately in your ear canal like a gentle punt through Venice.
Although Destroy Boys have always been referred to as a “Feminist band,” likely to do with both the name and being female fronted, they cannot deny it’s a driving force to penultimate track ‘You Hear Yes’. Accompanied by Scowl’s Kat Moss and Mannequin Pussy’s Marisa Dabice, it’s a hugely important song about their experience of harassment from men – something that is still far too prevalent in 2024 – and a real fuck you to male entitlement.
Closer ‘Boyfeel’ is an open and honest look at Roditis’ evolving relationship with their own gender, and their struggle to conform. Taking seven years to perfect, it’s an unabashedly frank track with hard hitting lines, but a delicacy to the instrumentation that somehow dilutes and placates the inner rage. It’s the stand out of the album, and deserves repeated listens to fully ingest its message.
After touring with blink-182, Alkaline Trio and a whole host of others, and pushing out consistently punchy records, Destroy Boys shouldn’t be surprising anyone any more. ‘Funeral Soundtrack #4’ is the culmination of all their hardwork, resulting in an album that’s as expansive as it is forceful, as honest as it is cutthroat. Destroy Boys are reaching their peak, and there’s nothing that’ll slow them down.
ANDY JOICE