On Welfare Jazz, the septet lead by Sebastian Murphy dulcifies its punk formula in order to dodge the trap of easy repetition. Since Street Worms (2019), the Swedes have grown in popularity, wowed crowds on tour, released an EP, Common Sense, and even won the hearts of the most exciting punks of the moment, Amyl & The Sniffers, by teaming up with their singer to cover John Prine's "In Spite of Ourselves". With five producers at the controls, including veterans Pelle Gunnerfeldt and Daniel Fagerström, the Boys slalom with chaotic skill between country ("To the Country"), rock and punk with the force of a vibrating double bass, an ample bass section and a half-cracked crooner, producing some singles with potential to make it big, like the opener "This Ain't Nice". Less radical while being frankly more daring, this offering of 100% pure fun, quite unique in the current post-punk landscape, should help 2021 get off to the right start.
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