The Boy Least Likely To

U.K. indie pop duo the Boy Least Likely To emerged in the middle of the decade as one of the most vibrant and promising acts of its kind. Singer and lyricist Jof Owen joined forces with Pete Hobbs, who handled the music and instrumentation, to form the group in the rural English setting of Wendover. Their sound drew from narrative country artists such as Marty Robbins, C-86-era indie pop acts including the Pastels and Television Personalities, and early-millennium pop outfits like Belle & Sebastian and Kenickie.

The pair launched their own Too Young to Die imprint in 2003 and issued the Papercuts 7" as their debut release. Later that year they followed with the single Be Gentle with Me/Hugging My Grudge, after which the Fur Soft as Fur single appeared in 2004. February 2005 brought the album Best Party Ever, which collected many of the tracks already issued on those singles. The record earned favorable notices and widespread blog coverage that matched its quality. The duo played live dates across the U.K. and Europe in support, while the remainder of the year saw 7" reissues of Papercuts and Hugging My Grudge plus a U.K.-only Monsters release. Early 2006 marked the American appearance of Best Party Ever, coinciding with U.S. shows that included both support slots for James Blunt and headline performances.

Following an extended wait, the second album The Law of the Playground arrived in spring 2009. For the 2010 holiday season the duo put out the full-length Christmas Special, mixing traditional carols with originals they had written themselves. Ahead of their subsequent project they replaced their accustomed acoustic instruments with electronic equipment, retiring banjos and ukuleles in favor of inexpensive drum machines and vintage synths whose eccentric character did not alter the group’s signature upbeat approach to songwriting. The resulting fourth album, The Great Perhaps, came out on their own imprint in early 2013.