Papa Boyle – Chasing The Smile (2025)
According to societal norms – or at least the traditional ones – it is essential to meet certain milestones while heading through different stages of life. In adulthood, it’s not as simple as a toddler’s talking and walking; as an adult, you’re supposed to have a life plan. At certain ages, you should have a family, car, house, and possibly pets – ha, yeah right. Phoebe Buffet from Friends said it best when she “didn’t have a plan… she didn’t even have a P.” Today, singer-songwriter Papa Boyle tackles the complexities of trying to navigate life with ‘Chasing The Smile’.
So, who is Papa Boyle? Well, he’s a talented musician hailing from Ireland with a hearty voice, a bold guitar, and profound weightiness eking from his moving lyricism. Influenced by old-school rock ‘n’ roll – think Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison – Boyle’s melodies brim with the charm of the 50s and 60s; however, just as they have an old-school vibe, there are tints of contemporary rock ala Kings of Leon. While different decades set in his music, Papa Boyle always touches on timeless themes – in this case, societal perceptions.
Following his well-received single ‘Falling For A Daydream’, ‘Chasing The Smile’ is a toe-tapping brand of indie-rock. A bold bass melds with pulsating drums and soaring guitars, creating a harmonic brand of rock, but just as the song has a united sentiment, the vocals insert a sense of vulnerability and fragility into a sophisticated production. For me, the melody can turn your head, but the vocals are what add personal intimacy to ‘Chasing The Smile’. He’s an old friend whom you can rant to about meeting expectations, making life decisions, and just being. Papa Boyle explains:
“I suppose the song poses the question, are we happy to chase these things that seem so elusive and the answer to all our problems… In terms of songwriting, it’s probably the most experimental to date when it comes to instrumentation and style, but it’s possibly the most rewarding so far. It was cool to mix a range of inspirations into this, and I think this is quite evident with the contrast between each section throughout the song.”
Find out more about Papa Boyle on his X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, TikTok and Spotify.
Listen to more indie-rock on The Other Side Reviews Indie Rock playlist:
