Young Widows was formed from the remains of the 90’s Louisville hardcore band Breather Resist. Ever since the break Young Widows has strived to break away from the hardcore, and make something that was simply hard. Their first album, “Settle Down city”, was a chaotic and angsty burst of grit and grime. Their second release utilized more driving and upfront bass rhythms to create a more solid foundation for their screeching guitar tones, but the quick pace of the album left it sounding a bit like a late 90s hardcore version of the Jesus Lizard. The title of their third release, “In and Out of Youth and Lightness” suggests coming of age, and they have done just that with this album. It seems that they have finally come into their own with this release by refining what they do best.
This album is slowed down and focused. The opening track “Young Rivers” opens with a more back and forth, straightforward bass and guitar arrangement. The drums are less straightforward and have a more up front quality than previous albums. This is the first album that drummer Jeremy McGonagall was able to fully contribute on, and his formal percussive training brings a mature pulse to this album. The single “Future Heart” follows this track and sounds all too familiar. The fast pace and short length make it feel like this album is going to fall back along the lines of their second release “Old Wounds”, but this is not the case. The rest of the album picks up where “Young Rivers” left off, giving you a heavy hit of mangled and noisy bluesesque riffs and growling stripped down bass progressions. McGonagall’s nuanced tom rhythms and ambient use of bells, cymbals, and soft snare rudiments keep this album grounded and focused.
If you skip past the single “Future Heart” you are left with an album that really feels like a solid unit. Damned good.
I like how you detail the band's evolution into this album. It gives a history lesson while explaining something more about the material.
ReplyDeleteThe band history was great, makes this album seem like it took awhile to lead up to and is more important because of it. Maybe focus more on the individual songs the album has and which work well and why.
ReplyDeleteI like how you've laid out the groundwork for the band in general and then went into detail about how the album fits in with their discography.
ReplyDeleteSolid band history and references to past work add something to the review without overwhelming it with too much bio. Great sound description - a little reference to lyrics would round out the content.
ReplyDeleteI like the history of the band at the start of the review it makes for a great beginning. I also like the comments you personally made in the review such as "This is the first album that drummer Jeremy McGonagall was able to fully contribute on, and his formal percussive training brings a mature pulse to this album."
ReplyDeleteIt seems a lot of people are unfamiliar with the real hardcore genre. I think you should add a couple more sentences describing the intensity and the heart that surrounds it. I really enjoyed the 1st paragraph.
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