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My boy, my boy, my boy… you have done it again! Singer/Songwriter Marlon Williams (Kāi Tahu, Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki) has released his third solo album, which offers a shift from the velvet country crooning in his first two albums.

 

This album, instead, gives contemporary 80s nostalgia, a bit of synth, some lovely little sprinklings of te reo Māori, and is overall a dynamic and vivid piece of art. As described on his website, ‘My Boy’ intentionally gives “​​sonic and emotional whiplash” through the stories of damaged and dysfunctional men: cheaters trying to evade commitment, lecherous guys in your dms, high-functioning cocaine addicts etc. But don’t let that scare you! The album is still a lot of fun. As Marlon has said himself, don’t take the first listen too seriously or place any expectations. Listen to it as you go for a walk, clean your room, or bake some treats for the flatties.

 

My personal favourites from the record (in no particular order) are: ‘My Boy’; ‘Soft Boys Make the Grade’; ‘Don’t Go Back’; and ‘Morning Crystals’. I hope you like them too!