BETWEEN FRIENDS pave a lane of their own with I Love My Girl, She’s My Boy
BETWEEN FRIENDS released their debut album, I Love My Girl, She’s My Boy, on August 25, and it was well worth the decade wait.
Photo: Lauren Schiller
Sibling duo Brandon and Savannah Hudson of BETWEEN FRIENDS are no strangers to the music industry. Since reaching the semifinals of America’s Got Talent in 2013, the pair has released an impressive music catalog spanning multiple bands and aliases.
The Hudsons struck gold with the 2018 BETWEEN FRIENDS EP “we just need some time together,” featuring indie-alternative classics like “affection” and “i love you.” In 2021, they released three tapes that led to the complete mixtape i like when you shine! And the EP “CUTiE” in 2022.
Ahead of the release of I Love My Girl, She’s My Boy, Brandon shared his thoughts in a poetic Instagram story post.
“[I Love My Girl, She’s My Boy] brings me back to being a kid and being excited to buy a CD at the Best Buy on Glades,” Hudson shared. “I hope you can find something in this lil thing that you like and play in your Ubers.”
Photo: 10K Projects
BETWEEN FRIENDS starts with a bang on “Stalker.” After a demure-sounding spoken introduction, the fast-paced beat immediately kicks in, complete with pop-punk-like vocals from Savannah. The opening track sets a fantastic mosh-worthy scene for the remainder of the album.
The track is followed by the lead single, “Bruise.” Lazers blend flawlessly with a heavy baseline to create a futuristic groove, all while depicting the hardships of making a relationship work.
“What’s up,” “Smiley,” and “Redlight” with Teezo Touchdown also dropped before the album’s release. “What’s up” creates butterflies in the listener’s stomach, taking it back to high school crushes with a Grouplove-like gang vocal in the chorus. Brandon’s voice hits on the pre-chorus of “Simley,” contrasting with Savannah’s light delivery, while Teezo Touchdown adds his alt-rap, eclectic stylings onto “Redlight.”
In collaboration with rising star Bakar, the alt-pop duo continues to work on preserving romance on “Haircut.” The song features cutesy melodies and charming vocal harmonies. Avant-garde musical choices continue onto “Lotto,” though the lyricism gets darker as turmoil seems to creep into the romantic situation.
I Love My Girl, She’s My Boy features both musical interludes like “Gross interlude” and “Running on Empty,” as well as spoken interludes as exemplified by “Sorry,” a voicemail from an angry ex-partner.
The album’s top highlight is undoubtedly “Self destruct,” an apologetic accountability anthem. With vocal stylings comparable to Amy Lee of Evanensce and straight-to-the-point lyricism like SZA, the duo bears all their emotions on the table on this almost gothic alternative rock track.
“We make music in our bedroom for you to listen in yours,” BETWEEN FRIENDS shared on their Spotify page.
BETWEEN FRIENDS proved that they blend and transcend genre like no other. However, they make a triumphant return to their classic bedroom pop sound on tracks “Sloppy stella” and the EDEN collaboration “Bb.”
They pushed boundaries in another unique way in the closing track, “I love my girl, she’s my boy.” The title track leaves a positive tone to the end of an album that tackles heavy emotions. Savannah delivers monologues about her youth in the verses overtop an energetic synth that builds to a brat-pop chorus of affirmations and advice.
“If you like it, start it / If you want it, get it / What you want.”
BETWEEN FRIENDS will embark on the “I Love My Girl, She’s My Boy Tour” this fall.