Boxed In
Melt
Release Date: Sep 23, 2016
Genre(s): Pop/Rock, Indie Electronic, Alternative Dance
Record label: Nettwerk
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Album Review: Melt by Boxed In
Excellent, Based on 4 Critics
Based on rating 8/10
"Forget," is an odd title for Boxed In to give the best song on his new album Melt, considering the track has both a groove and chorus that are catchy enough to stay in your mind, and keep you humming along, long after you've finished listening to it. And while "Forget" is an undeniable highlight, much of this synth drenched, highly danceable LP is equally memorable. Those attributes are obvious from the opening track, "Jist," for which Boxed In (the stage name for British beat smith, songwriter, singer, and record producer Oli Bayston) has built a galvanizing mix of punchy percussion and warbling synths that seem precisely engineered to leave toes tapping and hips shaking.
Based on rating 8/10
When it arrived in early 2015, Boxed In's self-titled debut was a pleasant surprise: the band's fluid fluency with dance and indie rock felt like the work of a more established act. They haven't lost their touch on Melt, an album that wastes no time showcasing the extremes of their music. "Jist," which was co-produced by frontman Oli Bayston and his former mentor Dan Carey, sounds tougher than anything on Boxed In as it fuses Krautrock, house, and techno into a looping groove that becomes more engrossing with each revolution.
Opinion: Excellent
It’s hard not to see parallels between Oli Bayston, the mastermind behind indie/dance group Boxed In, and [a]Tame Impala[/a]’s psych wizard Kevin Parker. Genres aside, each has honed an unmistakable musical aesthetic, and on the way they’ve both become sought-after producers in their own right. ‘Melt’ – conceivably Bayston’s big ‘Lonerism’ moment – sees him beginning to share the reins with his three Boxed In bandmates, and fleshing out the live elements of his idiosyncratic pop/krautrock/house blend with seamless electronic flourishes.
Opinion: Very Good
Boxed In 'Melt' (Nettwerk Records)After featuring on one of 2015’s biggest club hits, George Fitzgerald’s ‘Full Circle’, singer-producer Oli Bayston’s dance-pop project Boxed In is back less than a year after their well-received debut. The London four-piece impress most with upbeat, club-leaning efforts like the rumbling, progressive undercurrent of ‘Up To You/Down To Me’, while the swelling electronica of ‘Jist’ fuses a catchy bassline with infectious, repetitive lyrics. The album’s percussive moments are perfect for sunny festival slots.
'Melt'
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