Song of the Day: The Boy Least Likely To - Climbing Out Of Love

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part of our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on the Afternoon Show with Kevin Cole, is “Climbing Out Of Love” by The Boy Least Likely To from the 2013 self-released album The Great Perhaps.

The Boy Least Likely To - Climbing Out Of Love (MP3)

Grammatical issues aside, England's The Boy Least Likely To craft electronic takes on '80s indie pop that's equal parts Sarah Records and Pet Shop Boys. After forming in the summer of 2002, singer/lyricist Jof Owen and multi-instrumentalist Pete Hobbs' early recordings turned local heads, and upon the release of their debut, 2005's The Best Party Ever, they had strong buzz from the press on both sides of the Atlantic. A second album of original songs and a Christmas collection followed, before self-releasing their third album, The Great Perhaps, earlier this year. "Climbing Out Of Love" is, in C86 twee pop tradition, much more brighter musically than it is lyrically, but it strikes the genre's bittersweetly melodic nerve with a more modern sonic template. Owen's calm-yet-pining vocals float over bleeping synths and a four-on-the-floor beat, but his true strength is delivering lyrics like "nothing feels as lonely/as climbing out of love" with a sense of irrepressible optimism that can only be the result of living with English rain half of the year.

The Boy Least Likely To don't have any live dates at the moment, but if they announce a trek this year, you're most likely to find those on their website and Facebook. Watch the video for The Great Perhaps' "It Could've Been Me" below.