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Masha Qrella: Boys Don't Cry / Fishing Buddies (Dump Version)
A Number Of Small Things

Good things assuredly do come in small packages, as proven by this sweet little seven-inch by Masha Qrella. Issued on the Morr Music sub-label A Number Of Small Things in a limited run of 251 copies, the single pairs a cover version of The Cure's well-known “Boys Don't Cry” with Qrella's recent single “Fishing Buddies,” this version featuring guitar contributions by James McNew (Yo La Tengo, Dump).

“Boys Don't Cry” might be decades old, but Qrella breathes new life into it with a charming cover that'll make you fall in love with it all over again. The moment the lilting beat, electric guitar shadings, and familiar lyric (“I would say I'm sorry if I thought that it would change your mind…”) kick in, you're in pop heaven, and the appeal of Qrella's version only increases when the multi-tracked chorus arrives. While no substitute for the original, Qrella's is nevertheless a delightful homage. The relaxedly swinging “Fishing Buddies” makes for a nice partner to the A-side, with the vocalist's smooth croon (multi-tracked again) the common thread between them. Synthesizers figure prominently in the song, though not so dominantly that McNew's funky guitar textures get lost in the process, and if the chorus (“That except ‘I love you' I don't know what to say”) isn't quite as potent as the one in “Boys Don't Cry,” it's still satisfying enough. The single makes you want to hear more of Qrella's music, which is, I'm guessing, part of the intended effect.

February 2014