Careful is the second studio album by Boy Harsher, issued in early 2019 on the band’s own label, Nude Club. It’s a notably moody release, further developing their sound built from EBM, industrial, and darkwave elements, and centering on themes that feel deeply internal. In particular, the album’s introspective lyrics were shaped by vocalist and lyricist Jae Matthews’s personal grief and family turmoil. The song Jerry addresses Matthews’s stepfather, who passed away during the album’s writing period and before her mother’s dementia diagnosis.
Face the Fire, Fate, and LA served as the standout singles that helped drive the record’s success. Their accompanying music videos significantly contributed to this momentum, showcasing the duo’s cinematic sensibilities long before similar ideas were expanded on in The Runner.
The pair, Jae Matthews and Augustus Muller, refine their characteristic mix of post punk, darkwave, and electronic body music with experimental tendencies. Matthews’s stark, airy vocals drift with an almost spectral presence, while Muller’s production embraces mesmeric loops, as pulsing drum machines, creeping basslines, and simmering synth work shine throughout the album.
The album’s title traces back to the duo’s brief split in 2017. Matthews and Muller ended both their creative and romantic partnership, and at what they believed would be their final performance, Matthews had the word “careful” tattooed. The two reconciled after the show. As Matthews explains, the title "relates to a similar feeling of being protective of your heart."
Careful stands as one of Boy Harsher's most complete as well as emotionally charged albums. It is a synth-driven path through passion, fear, and the fine line between dominance and submission.
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Boy Harsher
Nude Club Records
Video directed by Kathleen Dycaico and Jill Ferraro-
