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Youth Group: Not your Average
Indie Act from Down Under |
Discount Bin
October 18, 2009 |
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The Youth Group were virtual unknowns from Australia until the American teen tv drama The O.C. picked it up and started playing the band’s cover of ‘Forever Young’ by Alphaville incessantly for a whole season. It’s a real shame if you hold this against them and if you toss them into the emo dumpster because this band has got more things going for them than the other bands in the O.C. soundtrack.
After years of being opening acts to visiting artists like Elliot Smith, Death Cab For Cutie, and Coldplay, these indie rockers are finally getting much-deserved recognition. Being featured on The O.C. certainly raised their band profile and even won them an ARIA award for Breakthrough Single for the cover song in 2006.
It’s hard to pin down what makes the Youth Group stand out. Is it lead singer/songwriter Toby Martin’s endearing, melancholic vocals? Is it the music that sounds both sunny and sad at the same time? Whatever it is, the band offers good emo. Not in a bad way, mind you. The whole sad-bastard-schtick is more compelling than annoying.
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Their most notable works are in their second and third albums, respectively. If you want to draw comparisons and see the band’s growth, it’s recommended to listen to both. Reviews forthe second album Skeleton Jar (Ivy League Records, 2004) were lukewarm, and so were the sales. The band had yet to hone their beats and there’s hardly any difference in structure and tempo. ‘Shadowland’, however, is clearly the song that saves this album and you get the feeling that they’re finally stepping in the right direction on how they want to sound like.
Still, album number twoproved a great precedent to Casino Twilight Dogs (Anti Records, 2007), the group’s most commercially successful, and more polished venture. Music from this album sounded more precise, balancing delicate elements from Martin’s vocals and lyrics with soft rhythms and nimble guitar work. The album triumphs with a collection of songs that would make you hit the repeat button. There’s the wonderfully deceptive ‘Sorry’, a tasty treat of sarcasm covered with pop. ‘Daisychains’ just makes you want to weep without even knowing why. ‘Start Today Tomorrow’ perfectly describes the wonders of idleness. Even the more somber ‘The Destruction of Laurel Canyon’, about the 2005 California landslides, is emotionally arresting.
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The third album shines and shimmers with all the notes in the right place. It’s a great album to get to know the band more. It’d be a crime to not give them a listen-to.
If you’re a fan of the lesser known ‘80s British band James, the Youth Group will be your best friend.
Similar bands: Teenage Fanclub, Keane, and Nada Surf.
Rating: 4/5
- Meg Cabanes
Link: http://www.youthgroup.com.au
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