BOY GOLDEN, BEST OF OUR POSSIBLE LIVES

Manitoba songwriter Boy Golden, born Liam Duncan, emerged from Winnipeg’s close knit music circuit with a steady, workmanlike approach to craft. He began releasing music independently in the late 2010s, building his audience through local shows and a string of self recorded projects that leaned on country structure and melodic pop. His early breakthrough came a few years back with his 2021 debut album, Church of Better Daze, which introduced his candor and dry wit to a wider audience. 

Duncan’s writing is reflective and plainspoken, tracing sobriety, recalibration, and the steady work of growing into himself anchored in personal reckoning. On his new third album Best of Our Possible Lives, Boy Golden writes from a place of evaluation, tracing where he has been and where he is headed, letting melodies with a gentle lift carry those reflections. What I liked most is how the album moves, guided by warm guitars, easy percussion, and open arrangements. Each track settles into its own groove, unhurried and assured, reinforcing the growth and accountability that shape the record.