As a virtual sequel to their 2000 disc If I Was Born a Girl..., Brooklyn-based Boys Star Library returns with this ten-song collection of bittersweet indie pop. After an untitled and brief opening track, the second track, "On Summer Vacation," showcases a new sound for the band, starting out with... [+] Expand

As a virtual sequel to their 2000 disc If I Was Born a Girl..., Brooklyn-based Boys Star Library returns with this ten-song collection of bittersweet indie pop. After an untitled and brief opening track, the second track, "On Summer Vacation," showcases a new sound for the band, starting out with a calm acoustic guitar and Jimmy Hughes' strained vocals. The song eventually transforms itself into the band's unique and playful take on indie pop/rock. The highlights of the disc might be the sequence of "Kissed With" and the title track. "Kissed With" is an infectious and rowdy track, while the title track, "Sugar & Water," is a festive epic made more festive with Hughes' unusually frantic vocals. "Pinned Between Two Ghosts" is the most unequivocally relaxed track of the disc. The stop-and-go melodies of "Like at the Brink of a Dream" impressively close out the disc. The unlisted 11th track plays "Like at the Brink of a Dream" backwards. Drummer Andrew Veety and guitarist Chris Bracco remain, while Josh Hunter replaced Danny Parker on bass. Linnea Weiss guests on cello, while Peter Vartan Jarahian adds trombone to "Still Stuck With Myself." Amy Ubelhor adds keyboards and vocals to some tracks, while Ian Rickert appears on tambourine and woodblock on "Me & Julia." The album was recorded during much of 2001 and January 2002. The band produced the disc with the assistance of Will Quinnell at New York's Eighty20 Studios. The band released Sugar & Water in 2002 on their own Bumblebear Records label. ~ Stephen Cramer, All Music Guide [-] Collapse

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