In January 2001, a Los Angeles band called Boy Hits Car put out an album that rocked very hard but had strange vocals. The vocals, done by CRegg, might turn some people away from the music, but I find them distinctive and entertaining. Maybe now that bands like System of a Down are becoming more popular, such vocals will be more widely accepted. Boy Hits Car has been around since the early 90s, and I am glad they are finally getting some more widespread exposure because their innovative sound is both enjoyable and refreshing.

If you’re wondering where they came up with their name, either read the inside of the album or check out www.boyhitscar.com. Both places give the interesting story written by the band about a boy who has to make an important decision in his life. I won’t tell the whole story, but I will say that the moral of it is a good one: Stay true to the dreams of your youth.


The Rebirth
This song starts out slow and then explodes with heavy guitars and a scream of “Let’s get connected!” CRegg exhibits his vocal range from the get go as he goes from soft and almost whiny to loud and angry. This song is all over the place – a perfect way to introduce this unpredictable album.

Lovecore (Welcome To)
This song contains heavy, gritty guitars, loud vocals, and even some rapped lyrics. I love the way the heaviness stops suddenly as CRegg changes his voice from loud and coarse to smooth and high-pitched, singing “Don’t you wonder/ if I love her?” It’s just so unexpected the first time you hear it. It’s definitely a creative song with a creative title, but not as creative a title as that of the next song.

As I Watch the Sun F*** the Ocean
This one also starts out slow with guitar playing that sounds almost Indian (of India, not Native American). Then the guitars and drums blast in making most of the song very heavy. The tempo is all over the place, going from heavy to soft and loud to quiet, but the erratic nature works very well. You will understand the song’s title better if you read the Boy Hits Car story I mentioned earlier.

I’m a Cloud
This song was the first song off the album to be released. Personally, I think it is a good song, but I don’t know if this was the right one to use to introduce the band to the masses. It might have been just a little too out there for the public to catch on to right away. It begins with almost whispered vocals leading up to a loud vocal burst. The chorus is choppy but pretty catchy: “I am/ so full of love/ I am/ so full of hate/ I am/ so full of these feelings that tear me every which way.” The lyrics are angry and frustrated, and those feelings come out in the vocals. Toward the end, the song uses the whisper-to-scream technique again, which I think they execute very nicely. It contains many familiar rock styles, but the problem may have been that they were all there mixed together. I like it, but commercially, it may not have been the best choice for a single.

Man Without Skin
This is a much better song for a single, and I’m glad it’s getting some radio play now. It’s not quite as erratic as the other songs. Instead, it keeps pretty much the same tempo throughout most of the verses and picks it up in the chorus and the bridge. The chorus is also very catchy. CRegg continues to demonstrate his vocal range but this time in a more “logical” manner. While I enjoy this entire album, I think this is a much more radio friendly tune that can more easily introduce Boy Hits Car to potential fans.

A Letter From Prison
This one also has soft verses that explode into a heavy, angry chorus. It features a cool effect that the band uses on a few other songs but comes across really good here. During one part of the chorus, the music nearly stops while the vocals continue. Then the music blasts back up again. All this happens in the span of a second. It is techniques like that that make these songs a little less predictable than most songs we hear everyday.

Unheard
The verses of this one are slow and almost eerie, especially with lines such as, “Death looms like an old friend.” Then the short but fast and heavy chorus cuts off the eerie nature. I like the chorus, but I’m wondering if the song would have worked better had they kept it slow and sinister throughout. Most of the songs follow the same quiet-to-loud-and-back format, so one that was mellow all the way through might have been better. But either way, this is an enjoyable tune.

Going to India
This is a fun one. Those Indian-sounding chords I spoke of earlier come back and play while CRegg slowly sings, “Going to India” before launching into extremely fast-paced and somewhat high-pitched lyrics while the guitar keeps up the pace. The song ends with more Indian music and female chanting. When I saw the title, I was worried it would be a crappy song like that Aerosmith song, “Taste of India” or something like that. Fortunately, Boy Hits Car knows how to make a song about India.

Turning Inward
This sounds like most of the previous ones as they bounce between heavy and soft seemingly anywhere they feel like. There’s nothing different here, but it is still very good.

Benkei
This one starts off fast and heavy right away unlike most of the other songs. It stays heavy throughout the entire song as well, except toward the end when he sings, “you know I love you” a few times before screaming, “You’re so beautiful!” again. The guitars sound really cool in this one, a bit more radio-friendly too. Maybe this could be the next release. By the way, don’t get me wrong about this radio-friendly stuff. I encourage bands to try new things that sound totally different. But usually, they need at least one song to get them widely accepted first. That’s why I think Man Without Skin should have been released before I’m a Cloud. Let people dig a song, then let them hear what the band is really about. Some will be disappointed, but most will welcome the originality. OK, enough ranting. I still have another song to cover.

Before We Die
Excellent tune. I especially like the flute playing, which accompanies the guitars and symbols. This one is a little slower so as to ease the listener out of the album, but there is still some characteristic heaviness mixed in at times. CRegg’s voice is once again all over the place going from loud screams and finishing with a soft, soothing alto. The first song on the album contains the line “Before we die” a few times. I didn’t even notice until I listened again, but I think it’s really cool how they string things together like that. You can tell they put thought into their music, and that is what the music world needs.



Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Exercising