Boy Kill Boy

Contrary to what their name may suggest, Boy Kill Boy are not today’s next big emo sensations. Instead they have been touted as one of the next big Brit sensations, thanks to support slots with the Rakes and Hard-Fi, and a three-pack of singles that were looking to set up this debut album nicely. But Civilian will change all of that momentum on account of its refusal to surround those three songs with little more than near-identical filler. "Suzie” is unquestionably a first-rate single that looks as much to mid-era Britpop such as These Animal Men as it does modern Brit acts like Maximo Park for its inspiration. The traces of synth suggest they’re taking notes from the Killers, a comparison that has followed them like a bad stench, but it hardly carries the dead-serious load that weighs down the Las Vegas band’s repertoire. "Back Again” and "Civil Sin,” while lacking the same punch, manage to fend for themselves thanks to some hasty tempos that were obviously intended for booming indie clubs. And from there, it’s slim pickings. They’re wise to keep the pulse up and kicking for the first ten tracks and then try and close on a ballad, but what they consider to be a touching moment has as much sincerity as an American Idol’s first single. Though their obvious aim is to become a homegrown edition of the Killers, with Civilian the best they’ve managed is a legacy as noteworthy as Gay Dad’s — and we all know exactly what happened or, shall we say, didn’t happen with that band.