When their 2018 EP we just need some time together exploded in popularity, a full-length project seemed inevitable at the rate brother-sister alt-pop duo BETWEEN FRIENDS was going. Now, after ten years in the making, they’ve unveiled their debut album, I Love My Girl, She’s My Boy.
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Drawing from real life experiences, LA-based siblings Savannah and Brandon Hudson consistently stick to their breezy brand of pop music that has so far proved to be a successful formula, garnering over 100 million streams for their breakthrough track, “affection.”
I Love My Girl, She’s My Boy elevates their sound to another level, switching up styles enough to sound fresh without alienating those who’ve come to follow the two for their reliable quality and relatable coming-of-age storytelling.
“Haircut” captures the spirit of the album cover, making it easy to imagine the two jamming by themselves in a garage. Much like most songs on the album, it comes and goes but still leaves an impression due to how in sync they are through the entire tracklist. So much so that it’s easy to miss Bakar on backing vocals, who pops in momentarily before redirecting focus back to Savannah and Brandon.
Conversely, “Redlight” also has guest vocals from none other than Teezo Touchdown, who’s been on a feature run lately and stealing the spotlight from Travis Scott, Paris, Texas, and others. But unlike those tracks, he gels the most with BETWEEN FRIENDS and comes out looking like the long-lost third member of their duo. All three come together on the chorus, never clashing in vocal styles and sounding just as pleasant over a quietly upbeat track highlighted by a prominent skeletal guitar.
No other song on the album matches teenage angst like “Self destruct” does. With Savannah taking up the starring spot, she sings about the self-destructive nature of teenagers in the wake of a breakup as Brandon’s guitar intensifies yet never quite blows up. It’s a restrained effort showing their discipline as songwriters, allowing bubbled-up emotions to come to the surface with painful honesty.
The music video for “Self destruct” shows Savannah and Brandon in suits surrounded by an entourage of orange ski mask-clad figures, who accompany them to the strip club. Though initially coming off as something better suited for a John Wick-style sizzle reel, their stoic faces tell a different story and match the song’s downcast feel. Not to mention, the visual style oddly fits the teenage wasteland they depict in all the songs off I Love My Girl, She’s My Boy.
The most impressive thing about the album and BETWEEN FRIENDS as a group is that they wrote and produced nearly everything on their own, resulting in a product only they could have come up with. On top of the two embarking on a headlining tour with support from Blaketheman1000, and including dates in LA at The Fonda Theatre on Nov. 10 and in Santa Ana at the Constellation Room on Oct. 3, their debut album is the cherry on top of an already successful career.
Words: David Sosa
I Love My Girl, She’s My Boy by BETWEEN FRIENDS is out on all streaming services. For more on new music and their tour, follow them on Instagram, TikTok, and their website.
