A project formed by guitarist Vi Mayugba and vocalist Alexia Roditis when the pair were just 15 years old, each Destroy Boys record has soundtracked an ending of sorts. From leaving high school to adjusting to a post-COVID existence, their discography serves as an intimate insight into personal growth, and on their fourth full-length collection Funeral Soundtrack #4 they’re seemingly more comfortable in themselves than ever before.
Delivering a swift middle finger to an industry that has repeatedly tried to take advantage of their naivety in the past, from the moment the gloomy, angst-ridden opening notes of Bad Guy burst into the poppy melodies of Plucked, it’s clear that any restraints on the Californians have been shattered. With Roditis’ sassy snarl expressing disdain with society’s objectification and the constant demand to conform, their scrappy punk charm remains, but has evolved with maturity. Anger and fatigue with the world’s declining state are still central to their cause, and Destroy Boys seem more determined than ever to fight for their right to exist.
Wickedly self-assured, it’s that mentality which allows the punks to venture into plenty of new sonic territory on Funeral Soundtrack #4. Amor Divino – roughly translating to ‘Divine Love’ – and Shadow (I’m Breaking Down) sees Roditis deliver vocals in the Spanish language, the latter track accompanied by some gnarly basslines courtesy of David Orozco. Elsewhere, Beg For The Torture and Should’ve Been Me serve up short, sharp doses of hardcore-infused brashness, You Don’t Know nails a melancholic indie swagger, and You Hear Yes sees the band team up with scene heavyweights Mannequin Pussy and Scowl for a powerful ‘fuck the patriarchy’ anthem.
With the band now a decade into their journey, there’s plenty of rightful fury to be found on Funeral Soundtrack #4, but the album’s highlights come when frenzy completely gives way to vulnerability. The first iteration of album closer Boyfeel was written when Roditis was just 17, its exploration of gender pushing beyond a black-and-white perspective. Encouraging the questioning of stereotypes and normalising an existence within the in-between, it’s in these moments that Destroy Boys message feels more pertinent than ever.
Destory Boys never claim to have all the answers, and as such Funeral Soundtrack #4 isn’t exactly a rallying cry for a better world, shaded as it is by confusion and a markedly jaded attitude. But if they can't make any promises to solve the world’s problems, their snarky punk melodies certainly offer a welcome break from the chaos.
