The album comes after Matthews and Muller ended their relationship in 2024, which adds some context to the themes running through the record. You can hear that sense of change and uncertainty throughout GET MEAN, especially in the way it deals with loss, loneliness, and moving forward.

The record stays cohesive while still introducing new textures. Softer electronic parts, guitar, and pedal steel give certain tracks a slightly different feel, which seems like a direction Boy Harsher are starting to lean into more. These additions give the album a little more range and keep things from feeling too familiar. “Hard Beat” is a good example of that balance, keeping the driving rhythms Boy Harsher are known for while bringing some of these newer elements into the mix. “Ivy’s Spiral” was one of the songs that stood out to me because it doesn’t follow the same cadence as the rest of the album. Instead of the usual vocals, Matthews delivers a monologue, which gives the song a more intimate and stripped-back feel. It was a nice change of pace and showed a different side of Boy Harsher without feeling too far removed from the rest of the record.

Overall, GET MEAN feels like a natural next step for Boy Harsher. You can hear the years they’ve spent building and refining their approach, and that comes through in how cohesive the album feels. Four years after The Runner, the record feels like a continuation of what they already do well while still giving them some room to explore. It has a familiar feel, but it doesn’t feel stuck in the past. For me, GET MEAN works best in that balance, showing how Boy Harsher have developed while keeping the atmosphere that made them stand out in the first place. I’m excited to see how they bring these songs to life and expand on this direction in person as they tour for the rest of the year.

Pre-order GET MEAN by Boy Harsher HERE