"When I Close My Eyes": Boy Grapes wields volatility and tenderness in the divergent new album.

It's hard to find something so emotionally-driven as "When I Close My Eyes": Put together by the indie moniker Boy Grapes, the album remains in a state of constant flux— and perhaps demonstrative of the chaos life can be. Boy Grapes puts listeners at the forefront of battling through struggles. Yet, vulnerabilities have only emboldened him to transgress conformity and immerse in the thrill, and ultimately resolution that can emerge from challenging oneself artistically.

While scouring through Boy Grapes' musical catalog, it becomes very apparent that there’s a high level of personal attachment present here— contemporary mainstream etiquettes such as frequent releases have been discarded for more thorough, detail-oriented EPs and albums, the notion of releasing singles with limited runtimes and insights nowhere in sight. Prominent even more is the lack of sticking to any genre lanes (a defining feature for the album as well) and superficial perfectionism— Boy Grapes clearly favors uncharted territories, even if it might come at the expense of losing commercial appeal, which is increasingly becoming a precedent for breaking through in the ultra-competitive age of music streaming. That hasn't deterred the American alias to continue pushing boundaries, particularly in the alternative/indie rock spectrum, dipping in and out of neighboring styles as needed to channel his creativity without restraints.

The shorter EP "UH HUH" from last year served as an indicator of a greater project looming in near future, which realized into the the longest (and most aspiring) project ever put out by the free-thinking creative: right from the start, a staccato of guitar chords and marching drums synergize over haphazard vocal shouts in “Sand”— all coalescing into a riveting transition into the main act ahead. "Humpback" takes over with alternating sardonic falsettos and a pleasant baritone, the instrumentation taking a wilder, psychedelic path, as the upbeat delivery sheathes darker lyricism suggestive of repressed trauma ("Let me drown//In reality, I can't sleep").

The dynamic, even jarring, variations in this compilation of individualistic tracks can be both overpowering yet appealing from an artistic standpoint: in the rough-hewn "Bobby," listeners are thrust into a gritty soundscape dominated by untamed elements— brazen vocal growls, biting guitar riffs, and stomping drums cause frenzy in a cathartic presentation. Almost in succession, "What I see" manifests further havoc with a heavily overdriven soundset, letting loose explosively in a near riot-provoking fashion with rebellious vocals and unpolished, grinding instruments. 

After this relentless activity, "Gummo" initiates on a relatively calmer disposition— existential crisis fuels this track ("My face, my race//But I can't claim any of this on my own"), gradually shifting from a stripped-back sound to a full-blown composition with a buzzing, jangly alternative rock-inspired setup. Down the line, "Muscular Atrophy" introduces a funk-inspired and engaging breakbeat bundled with gnarly textures from guitars, a stark contrast to the soul-weary singing in the lead.

Towards the end, chaos unfolds again at "Just Move," a rapid barrage of drums and serrated guitars, reeking of violence with the raw-throated delivery in charge of the raucous cadence (with a psychosis inducing chorus exclaiming "Move, just move till your heart stops beating"). "It Isn't Me" comes as a reprieve after the frenetic movements within this album— it's sincerely ruminative, as Boy Grapes adopts gentler tones and simpler, acoustic arrangements (accompanied by stuttering textures in the background)— much like a sentimental adieu after the numerous crests and troughs present throughout this mercurial LP.

"When I Close My Eyes" is amply authentic in the way its creator opens up about expressing the whirlwind resulting from emotional fragility— and although the experimental approach does this justice, it also acts as a double-edged sword, reducing cohesiveness to a certain extent. However undoubtedly, this album offers an eventful ride filled with propulsive moments that deserve more acclaim.

Listen to "When I Close My Eyes" on Spotify, and stay tuned with Boy Grapes on Instagram.