The Young Hearts

Everything We Left Behind EP

Written by: TL on 30/12/2015 13:01:28

The Young Hearts from the UK are a new name to reach our ears, with their recently released EP "Everything We Left Behind" being the first we hear of them. The EP delivers five tracks sounding like an emo/pop-punk/pop-rock mixture, filled with ambitiously ringing guitar melodies, youthful pathos and occasional shouty or screamy tinges. All of which sounds fairly typical for hopeful UK newcomers, and it should not surprise anyone if the band - while they are currently most likely to draw comparisons to the likes of Boston Manor or Moose Blood - eventually end up moving in a more polished direction on future releases, looking to become the next You Me At Six or Kids In Glass Houses. It's early to say that, sure, but still, they have that feeling to them.

So while the bad news is that the band's style hardly comes off very original, the good news is that their songwriting moves along nice and dynamically, sounding like they've studied their influences diligently. The opening duo of "Shallow" and "I Used To Think We'd Live Forever" both give you that instant sense of drive and direction you look for in a well-crafted track, and particularly the former is mildly catchy, albeit due to a chorus that gets a tad repetitive. The standout track on the EP, however, is the centrepiece "Lions". The song seizes your ears more firmly with a dual vocal arrangement to begin with, that has a sense of emo urgency reminiscent of Have Mercy, which gives you the - perhaps false? - impression that The Young Hearts actually have intentions to develop into more than second tier pop-rockers.

Regrettably, it is a bit too early to tell the band's fate based on "Everything We Left Behind", which, despite nicely flowing songwriting and a fairly evenly balanced mix, lacks the signature touches and the quality of production to mark The Young Hearts as a band that's right around the corner from going somewhere. Add that the boyish vocals, despite their passionate delivery, sound like they're a bit pressed for range and technique, with occasional yet distinct high notes giving you that feeling like they're probably not always gonna come out so nicely in the live setting. Mainly, though, the biggest hindrance for The Young Hearts so far, is that they do not give you a clear enough idea of a unique identity to their band. This EP is a good display of their songwriting ability when it comes to putting things together along the tried and tested lines of bigger, more established names, but the band needs to figure out what they have to offer that nobody else has.

Download: Lions, I Used To Think We'd Live Forever
For The Fans Of: Boston Manor, Moose Blood, Have Mercy, You Me At Six
Listen: facebook.com/theyoungheartsuk

Release date 18.12.2015
No Panic!

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