Viagra Boys – “Just Like You,” “Up All Night,” & “Special Helmet”
Though they’ve been kicking around for a couple years, the ridiculously-named Swedish post-punk outfit Viagra Boys really started generating some buzz earlier this summer, upon the release of “Sports.” That was an instantly-memorable single that, if you’re a fan of the kind of snarling and sardonic strain of punk occupied by artists like the Fall, marked Viagra Boys as a new name to look out for. (As if you’d be forgetting that name anytime soon anyway.)
“Sports” was an early taste of the band’s forthcoming debut album, Street Worms. And today, Viagra Boys — who, amusingly, are often referred to as V**gra Boys by their PR company to avoid spam filters — are back with another one called “Just Like You.”
The “Just Like You” single is coming with two non-album B-sides, “Up All Night” and “Special Helmet.” Both are somewhat logical extensions of “Sports,” being punchy little punk surges always threatening to let their fury and power overflow entirely. “Just Like You,” in comparison, shows off a slightly different side of the band. Frontman Sebastian Murphy still charismatically barks and spits and growls his way through the track, but this time he does it over instrumentation that’s something like a corroded, drugged-up corner of new wave.
“We all try to be perfect for someone. This song is about failure and disappointment,” the band said of “Just Like You.” That lends the new single a specific quality. You could imagine a version of this song, skewed a few degrees to the other side, that might’ve been romantic, whether in tone or aesthetics. Instead, Viagra Boys render desperation and defeat as vividly as they have their more aggressive moments. Check it out below.
Street Worms is out 9/28 via YEAR0001. Pre-order it here.