B-Side Guys

Some songs feel like they were born out of necessity, hastily scribbled on the back of a napkin or conjured up in a last-minute burst of inspiration. But in the case of resting’s “Boys,” what started as a filler track to pad out a setlist has blossomed into a shimmering shoegaze masterpiece that stands as one of the band’s most captivating releases to date.

From the opening notes, “Boys” envelops the listener in a hazy, dreamlike atmosphere, all swirling guitars and gauzy reverb. But beneath the track’s lush sonic textures lies a heart of pure, unabashed romanticism. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a relationship in flux, of stolen moments and missed connections, of the bittersweet ache of longing for someone who always seems just out of reach. “It was awful hard to miss you love / Every countless hour adding up,” the vocalist sings, their voice drenched in a kind of wistful yearning that’s impossible to fake.

But what really sets “Boys” apart is the way it marries its introspective lyrics with a sound that’s as expansive as it is intimate. The guitars are the star of the show here, weaving in and out of each other in a kind of ethereal dance, creating a sense of space and depth that’s absolutely intoxicating. It’s the kind of sound that’s tailor-made for late-night drives and lonesome bedroom daydreams, a perfect soundtrack for getting lost in your own head and heart.

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that “Boys” is also an absolute earworm of a track. The melody is the kind of thing that burrows its way into your brain and refuses to leave, a perfect distillation of the band’s knack for crafting songs that are as catchy as they are emotionally resonant. And when the track reaches its climax, with the vocals soaring over a crescendo of shimmering guitars and pounding drums, it’s hard not to get swept up in the sheer cathartic release of it all.

At its core, “Boys” is a song about the messiness and uncertainty of young love, about the way even the most intense connections can feel fragile and fleeting. But it’s also a celebration of the beauty and power of those connections, a reminder that sometimes the most meaningful moments in life are the ones that are hardest to hold onto. With “Boys,” resting has crafted a song that feels like a perfect distillation of that bittersweet truth, a shimmering shoegaze gem that revels in the melancholy and magic of romance. It’s a track that demands to be played on repeat, a gateway drug into the band’s lush and dreamy sonic world. And if this is just the beginning of what resting has in store, then we can’t wait to see where they go next.