Strange Men’s Chaos explored in “Do What The Boys Do”

Strange Men is an indie punk duo from San Fransisco, consisting of Róisín Isner (she/her) and Ashley Clayton (he/him). This latest single is described as “a chaotic journey across shades of garage, psych, and punk.” The premise of the track is to take the listener on a journey through the current mental health and drug crisis in our society through a satirical twist on a “girl power” anthem. 

What’s special about this track is how it plays with a lack of sound and energy to create a spooky feeling that both feels true to its punk roots and plays with a postmodern musician’s identity. The song itself comes in at less than three minutes, starting with extremely fuzzy and choppy notes coming in with simple drums and the repeating “Do what the boys do”, slowly and quietly easing some harmony in. Breaking into the chorus with some chords being hit, Isner’s voice is quieted in post to almost a whisper, though she’s yelling, while Clayton’s artistically high-pitched and whiny voice is at the forefront of the chorus. At the end of the song the melody peeks out a bit more, with the same super-fuzzed instrumental in the back. Ending with both of the singers saying “Do what the boys do—break down”, the song leaves you with an impact. 

Interpolating “Sunglasses at Night” by Corey Hart, the song really reaches into the flaws of the past punk scene and current capitalist-centered feminism and throws their all into commenting on it. Along with the music video, which uses AI generated images, creates an uncanny familiar yet unique feeling. 

RIYL: Sonic Youth, Sprints, HotWax, Thee Oh Sees, The Chats, Le Tigre