Put Your Hands Together For “One of Us”
It’s really hard to follow up a fantastic first album, but New York-based electronic pop rockers Young Love managed to hit another home run with its sophomore release, One of Us. Every part of the new LP is catchy and designed to make you want to throw a strobe light party in your living room.
Of course, this latest release from front man Dan Keyes’s musical cerebrum doesn’t come without a few disappointments. My first gripe is that the album has only 10 songs. Seriously, is Album 3 going to have 8 songs?
Overall, the instrumentation in One of Us feels cleaner, sharper, and a little more mature than that on Too Young to Fight It; however the album doesn’t have any clear, stand-out hits like Too Young’s Discotech and Find a Way to Dance. All of the songs are excellent, but I wouldn’t expect to hear them on the radio as much as some of the material from the former album. I could be wrong, though, and funky songs like The Picture are growing on me more and more every time I listen to them.
Lyrically, Keyes waxes a little more hopeful, a little more playful, and perhaps a little less sophisticated. Also, it sounds like he’s been on tour for a couple of years and scratched his vox a little, which is pretty awesome. One of my favorite parts about the new album is the way the bass is mixed - punchy and very prevalent, especially on songs like One to Ten (track 2). I practically shiver when I hear it. But then again, I am a bass player.
If you’re too poor to afford the whole album, I recommend purchasing Unafraid (track 1) and Black Boots (track 4). Black Boots features a sick outro where the band turns on the defibrulators and start making robot sounds.
You’ll thank me, I promise.
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