Howie B & Craig Richards ‎- Old Boys feat. Shaun Ryder

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  • It's hard to tell how many days into a studio session Howie B & Craig Richards' Old Boys was produced, but the state of Shaun Ryder's wailing suggests it was at least a few. This three-track 7-inch, totalling just under ten minutes of music, is as catchy as it is sentimental, pairing electro beats with pads and flashes of melancholy. The first half of the title track is funky and fun, as a maniacal Shaun Ryder blurts nonsensical syllables, interspersed with cries of "old booooooys" over a slamming 808 breakbeat. But a pad that arrives halfway through flips the mood, turning this otherwise goofy track nostalgic. "Time Flies Like An Arrow" is a two-minute sketch with insect sounds, more wacky vocals—"la la la la la"—and a plodding beat. Its tropical but technoid pulse gives it a motorised drive. "Fruit Flies Like A Banana," despite its title, is the EP's most emotional track. The tempo nosedives while synths twinkle, ending Old Boys with a mood that, depending on your state of mind, might be bliss or despair.
  • Tracklist
      A1 Old Boys feat. Shaun Ryder B1 Time Flies Like An Arrow B2 Fruit Flies Like A Banana
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