Jelle Denturck, a Belgian musician, is known as the frontman of the indie-rock band DIRK. The band plays a raw, fast-paced sound. However, Denturck hits different tunes with his new solo project, Dressed Like Boys.
The debut single, Nando, will be released tomorrow, celebrating its exclusive premiere today with Negative White.
The musician explains his sonic love letter to the most trusted people: «Being in a relationship will inevitably cause turbulence. That’s what Nando is about. We all suffer insecurities, injuries, doubts and regrets for the sake of love.»
As Dressed Like Boys, Denturck displays tender honesty and intimacy. He wants to write «truthful, heartfelt songs that sound like they’ve always existed.» Exploring the themes of personal freedom, relationships, and homosexuality, Dressed Like Boys is not a mere outlet for an artistic vision but a vehicle for introspection and reflection.
Nando, can you hear the drums
Hold me while we're dancing
Until the morning light
If you like
Inspired by pop and rock legends of the 1970s, such as, Bowie or Elton John, Nando combines fragility and vulnerability with expression, and large parts. There are soft, reduced parts, with only a piano accompanying his voice. But the composition builds to a full-blown arrangement with all the flourish of pop—vocalising choirs, strings, and escalating drums—before collapsing again into simplicity.
Nando is beautiful, like any piano pop-rock ballad. It is, at times, overwhelming in its burst of opulence. But even in this big moment, it always feels close to the heart and never out of touch or put on a pedestal. It is filled with authenticity.
