Charlie Boyer and The Voyeurs – ‘I Watch You’
Sounding like ‘next year cool’, Charlie Boyer and The Voyeurs, despite sporting one of the most cringe-inducing band names of the year, have pulled out an exciting first release that delivers all it promises.
The new single, ‘I Watch You’, sounds perfectly suited for this group, blending influences from the Britpop/1960s revival of the mid-1960s with a forward-looking nod to the ’70s. It’s a dancefloor filler that channels the era’s discontent while reflecting Britain’s search for a new wave of sound and style.
“I hope you walk like you talk, I hope you love like you fight” rings like a bell of a chorus, and I can already see ‘I Watch You’ in the nightclubs of Britain, uniting drunkard boys and girls in toilet seat passion. Sounding like New York Dolls with British humour, the tight showmanship simplicity of the guitars are punchy to the point of bruising and although a little polished is such a mover it’s a welcome return to British rock and roll.
‘I Watch You’ exudes a sense of retro glamour, driven by its lush, atmospheric instrumentation. The standout guitar work, with its sharp, reverb-soaked riffs, slices through the mix with a jagged elegance that perfectly complements the song’s brooding mood. The production strikes a fine balance—polished and sophisticated, yet maintaining a raw edge that keeps the track grounded and irresistibly gripping.
The B-side, ‘Be Nice’, proves to bring what was so nicely dangled in front of our faces with more moving and shaking with a backdrop of distortion funk and pop sensibilities. Born out of a summer of discontent and sticking to its fuzzy roots, ‘Be Nice’ and the A-side ‘I Watch You’ paint a disillusioned youth on the come down from the intensity of escapism that is now focused on brightening up reality a little.
In truth, regardless of the influence or meaning, this release is guaranteed bodies on the floor either through intoxicated twisting or merely people caught and slung into the furore by this hooky number. Charlie Boyer and The Voyeurs, by this reckoning at least, are ones to watch.
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