The B Boys released their second full-length album in 2019 entitled Dudu, affectionately following 2017’s Dada, and marks the band’s penchant for brevity. The elements used in this album are fairly simple and are kept persistent throughout its 15 tracks, with a clear consideration of live sets in mind. The speed is kept at an impulsive pace, with plucky bass lines and fuzzy guitar riffs boiling above a dependable engine of drums. The vocals are also consistent, where the words are not so much sung but instead barked at full lung capacity. This completes the color palette that the B Boys used to its full extent in this album, with the meat of its songs grounded in the introspection of modern life and the self. The result is a flavor post-punk that has grown up and seen the drudgery of the real world in their 9-5 jobs while reading “Man’s search for meaning”. Loudly touching on topics such as stress, aimlessness and boredom with an abundance of pent up rage and energy.
“Cognitive Dissonance” is an examination of the inner workings of the mind and probably the loudest meditation you’ll ever hear. Followed by “Pressure Inside” that sings about the distractions on your head that lead to inaction. The lyrics play on how our minds get “Overruled” by thinking too much. Resolving with a thoughtful “Can’t you just do you?” “Automatic” is composed of a push and pull between two musical sections. One is a mechanical droning of straight staccato rhythm while the other is a chaotic mess that’s just about to snap, it represents how machines have made life more convenient at the cost of lesser human interaction.
Another standout is “Instant Pace” with its skittering guitar riff and snares that steam through at breakneck pace. Expressing frustration at how the speed of information has dulled our senses, turning us into mindless drones drooling at our own devices for the latest clickbait. “I Want” is a proud declaration of their love of art and poetry, yelled at full volume with cheerful waltz-y guitars.
Other notables are “Asleep/Awake” with its dissonant call-and-response angular riff that depicts losing one’s peace of mind and “Taste for Trash” that belittles our craving for varieties of trash, metaphorical and otherwise.
Where Dudu’s sound lags in variation, they make up for it in the wide range of topics they cover. Its limited choice of structure and color enables them to delve into complicated issues while still maintaining a tight-knot sound throughout the album. Social anxiety is something we face in our daily lives, and The B Boys have bled their own self-examination and soul-searching in this cohesive art piece. Something that sets them apart from their contemporaries in the genre.