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This is a move that feels as freeing and chaotic as the music itself. If you thought their previous record 'Cave World' was them at their wildest, you’re in for a much stranger ride.
Frontman Sebastian Murphy promised the new record would be "a bit simple and stupid," trading political satire for surreal storytelling and gut-level honesty. From the moment 'Man Made Of Meat' slams into action, a bass-heavy stomp inspired by Murphy’s encounters with American eccentrics, the mission is clear: no filters, no apologies.
Matching Murphy’s career-best lyrics is the band’s most adventurous musical backdrop yet. Tracks like 'Medicine For Horses', a sprawling, dusty ballad, and 'Waterboy', a blast of anthemic electro-rock energy, show a band eager to stretch beyond their manic post-punk roots. Meanwhile, 'Best In Show Pt. IV' dives headfirst into jazz-punk chaos, sounding like a glorious mess that only Viagra Boys could pull off.
Of course, they haven’t abandoned the sweaty, bass-led pit anthems that fueled their rise. 'The Bog Body' and 'You N33D Me' deliver pure, primal energy, guaranteed to turn the band’s upcoming Infinite Anxiety Tour into a frenzy of flailing bodies and beer-soaked floors.
In 'Uno II', Murphy channels the influence of his Italian greyhound, offering an odd moment of introspection in an otherwise chaotic record. Dogs have long been a recurring motif in Viagra Boys’ music, symbolizing moments of calm in the whirlwind. The lyric “I found a crouton underneath a futon” encapsulates the strange, unpredictable spirit that defines the track.
'Pyramid Of Health' stands out too, launching a sarcastic assault on health fads and alternative medicine culture. Murphy's lyrics slice through the absurdity with lines that drip with irony, making the track both hilarious and unsettling, a tightrope the band walks better than almost anyone.
Production-wise, longtime collaborator Pelle Gunnerfeldt keeps everything raw but razor-sharp, balancing grime and clarity in a way that allows every saxophone screech and guttural shout to shine. Oskar Carls’ sax and flute work feels even more crucial this time, often lifting the songs out of pure madness into unexpectedly touching moments.
Compared to 'Welfare Jazz' and 'Street Worms', 'viagr aboys' feels messier, stranger, but sneakily more introspective. If 'Cave World' was a dystopian broadcast, this album feels like the blurry late-night rerun: fragmented, surreal, but somehow more human underneath the madness.
It all wraps up with 'River King', a fragile everyday ballad about love and small moments, a surprisingly tender closer that only makes this band’s wild swings into absurdity feel even more endearing. Murphy’s vulnerable delivery here shows that behind all the chaos, there’s a heart beating loudly (and a bit drunkenly).
Ultimately, Viagra Boys aren't trying to lecture or reinvent punk, they’re just living their weirdest, loudest truth. Fans of IDLES, Amyl And The Sniffers and Iceage will find a lot to love here, but 'viagr aboys' isn’t just another blast of noise. It’s a filthy, funny, heartbreaking reflection of now — told through sax solos, howls, and the unwavering gaze of a man who’s seen way too much weirdness on tour.
