I have a storied history with Today Junior. During the prenatal stages of my career as a journalist, I was frivolously looking around Boston for anything to cover – live sets, street performances and anything else that involves an instrument. I hatched what seemed like a brilliant idea at the time. My neighborhood record store was holding an outdoor event for local indie acts to play their stuff, and I decided to utilize said occasion to demonstrate my skill as a correspondent.
While haphazardly submitting this article to every music publication within a 100 mile radius didn’t land me a job at the Boston Globe, attending the event still proved to be worthwhile for two reasons – it allowed me to get my feet wet as a reporter, and I was able to catch a glimpse of the absolutely electric band that is Today Junior.
While watching their set was a pleasure to watch, their music is equally delightful to listen to. From the candid nature of frontman Harry O’Toole’s voice to their trademark of drowning his voice out under a wet blanket of psychedelia, their sound makes you want to spark a cigarette in an open garage just as much as makes you miss the bliss of youth. It’s rebellious yet innocent, grimier than dirty dishes yet sweeter than candy – their newest single, “Hot Plastic,” hits that same mark.
Leading the way for a self-titled LP to come, “Hot Plastic” is all about allowing yourself to get caught up in the moment. The hook offers a mantra of sorts – “come on, let’s get lost, we got no no expectations” followed by “there’s not much that I want, the stakes just ain’t the same” – that encourages the listener to let go of their stress for all but three minutes. Seemingly using a freshly single individual as the paradigm of someone with baggage too heavy to bear, O’Toole encourages her and the audience alike to simply embrace the present.
Layers of guitars and subtle falsettos make you feel as though you’re looking at a sunset, and the short and simple message resonates that much more because of the atmosphere that the song creates. If you ever need to take the edge off, this song will do the trick – it’s an all-purpose remedy to freeing yourself from temporary tension, doubling as a handy helper to putting the past behind you.
I love these guys. They’re fun, they don’t take themselves too seriously and – best of all – they have a bankload of material to be released over the next 12 months. Look no further than these three if you need to turn a frown upside down.
By Aidan Mega
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