One That Got Away

It happens at the end of every year. We painstakingly assemble our lists of favorite albums only to discover a day, week or month later an album that should have been there. For me, this year, it's 'Oh Boy' from Massage. The Swede told me about this one back in July, and I took to it then but abruptly forgot about it. I was reminded of it again when he had it on his list of best albums about a week ago. A day later I saw Massage on Howard's singles rundown at IndiePopSavedMyLife. To rub it in even more, the day after that I heard the band on two different podcasts featuring the year's best. Thanks for the nudge, everybody. I'm now obsessed with 'Oh Boy.'

Massage is based in Los Angeles, and they remind me a bit of another band from there I also just missed on my albums countdown in 2013. Dream Boys are three Americans and one Scotsman that met in La-La-Land for one glorious self-titled long player I bought in late December that year just as I was assembling my year-end lists. I knew immediately this was the best album I had heard in 2013. Alas, it was too late. If I were to do a best of the decade, and as we approach 2019 I envision this being on the horizon, I imagine the album would be in my top 10. They have been described as filtering the spirit of Postcard Records through the haze of the Paisley Underground. Five years on, I can't believe this album hasn't caught the attention of more listeners that worship at the altar of 'C86.' Maybe it's the name. Dream Boys sounds like a Broadway musical, doesn't it?

To the best of my knowledge, Dream Boys have never had another album. Maybe they're finished. If so, they are one of the best flickers of brilliance I have on the shelf.

Sometimes
Born Yesterday