Speedboat is the project of Brighton-based brothers Johnny and Will Griffiths, who have previously both been in other musical projects but found that they had undeniable chemistry when they finally decided to make music together. This is being brought to bear on their debut EP, Split The Bill, which arrives via 0800-Moshi-Moshi next month.
Following on from lead single “bigboy123” comes this week’s new offering “Dog Toy”, another 80s-indebted new wave jam that is utterly lovable. Whether Speedboat are genuinely singing from the perspective of a dog who is obsessed with his new chew toy, or whether it’s an allegory for some kind of emotional strife is unclear – we assume the duo are happy to let the listener decide for themselves. Either way, the sheer hop-along synthy fun of “Dog Toy” is completely irresistible, reminiscent of Kim Wilde’s “Kids In America” but with a more lighthearted mood. The result is intoxicating, and will make you want to scramble around your house like an over-excited pet, skidding across floors with the sheer glee of it all.
Augmenting the groovy silliness of “Dog Toy” is the excellent video, which, much like the song itself, is an unabashed throwback to the 80s – there are plenty of dance moves and outfits to take you back in time as you watch. The duo say:
“The video’s wackiness is only surpassed by the sheer ambition of Dinomoves’ genre bending, reality jumping visual interpretation. With minimum budget and maximum effort – the video reflects the blurred themes that the track explores and takes you on a trip of kicks and pleasure.”
Speedboat’s Split The Bill EP arrives on February 12 through 0800-Moshi-Moshi (pre-save). Find Speedboat on Bandcamp, Facebook and Instagram.
