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The Soft Boys

The Soft Boys

I Wanna Destroy You

Cambridge psych-punks who traded three-chord minimalism for Syd Barrett dreams and jangly guitars, then quietly reshaped indie rock.

APPLE MUSIC

I Wanna Destroy You

The Soft Boys

About

MOODS · psychedelic · jangly · retro folk-rock · cult favorite · melodic · guitar-driven · whimsical · nostalgic

BIOGRAPHY

The Soft Boys formed in Cambridge, England in 1976, led by guitarist Robyn Hitchcock. Originally called Dennis and the Experts, the lineup settled with Hitchcock, Kimberley Rew, Andy Metcalfe and Morris Windsor after early personnel changes. Rejecting punk's stripped-down approach, they instead drew on first-era British psychedelia and Byrds-style folk-rock. The band released the single "(I Want to Be An) Anglepoise Lamp," the 1979 album A Can of Bees, and 1980's Underwater Moonlight, the latter recorded after bassist Metcalfe was replaced by Matthew Seligman. The group disbanded in 1981, later reuniting briefly in 1994 and again from 2001 to 2003, releasing Nextdoorland in 2002.

WHY THEY'RE COOL

Though dismissed in their time as a quirky cult act, The Soft Boys became one of the most quietly influential British bands of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Underwater Moonlight, in particular, is cited as a foundational text for jangle pop, indie rock and neo-psychedelia, with bands like the Replacements, R.E.M. and the L.A. paisley underground scene all naming it as a direct influence. Their fusion of punk-era fearlessness with psychedelic songcraft and folk-rock melody offered an alternative path that shaped alternative music for decades after their initial breakup.

ON WOKE-1

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