The Strange Boys - Be Brave (Rough Trade) **** (From Richmond and Twickenham Times)

The Strange Boys - Be Brave (Rough Trade) ****

3:30pm Friday 19th February 2010 in

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ROUGH Trade haven’t been this excited by signing a US band since The Strokes and The Strange Boys’ blend of rough-hewn garage rock, rural blues and wonky folk sure is infectious. Imagine Dylan’s first electric band backing Caleb Follo-will on a set of obscure Sonics covers while Nick Cave shouts encouragement and Daniel Johnston barks at the moon.

Older heads will find plenty that sounds reassuringly familiar to them, while the young guns will queue up to embrace the freaky new avant garde as saxophone, organ, banjo, folk-gospel and twisted doo-wop harmonies tag team the raunchy, unrefined, amp-shredding rock ’n’ roll base elements.

Haven’t heard anything this fresh, or this timeless in a long time. Watch out for UK dates later this year.