Written by Madison Boyce
On Friday, October 16th, Albany, NY pop trio Young Culture released their debut album, which is self-titled. This is a 10-track record where four of the songs were already released as singles.
Despite my personal preference for fewer singles, I really enjoyed all of them. Each pre-released song brought something new to the table in terms of sound, lyrics, and genre.
Up first is a track called “Bloodthin”. The first couple of seconds remind me of the opening track to the 5 Seconds of Summer album, “Sounds Good Feels Good”.
They both took the approach of starting off with the sound of a door opening and soft speaking. The less complex intro to the song is nice considering how many different elements and genre influences are already present throughout this 30-minute release.
The slowed guitars start playing and vocalist Alex Magnan starts with the lines “Bloodthin, soaking up the sun again / My friends and the way that we all play pretend”. It's centered around the theme of holding onto your youth which I know a lot of people can relate to.
The next two tracks titled “Compass” and “Anywhere I go, I’m Taking You With Me”, very much remind me of a previous Young Culture song titled “Bloom” off of their 2017 EP, “Blue”. All three of those songs give me the feeling of being so in love with someone you don’t care where you are with them, like their company is the only thing in the world that matters.
Up next is the first single released for this album, titled “Holiday In Vegas”. This was released in early February at the beginning of their time on Have Mercy's final tour.
In my opinion, this was the best way Young Culture could have started their debut full-length album. It’s a fun pop song that makes me wish I was back at a live show with my friends.
“I’ll Be There” is one of the most unique tracks on this album, let alone in the band's entire discography, reminding listeners that they are never on their own in this world. Along with the announcement of this song, they operated a "hotline" of sorts where for 2 days the members would answer a phone number and be there (pun intended) for any friend or fan to talk to.
After that is “Better Off As Friends”, one of the Young Culture's strongest songs yet. The lines “We found something that we could not replace, but when the light was shed it seemed to fade” definitely alludes to the end of a relationship, with both parties coming to terms with staying just friends.
When the tracklist for the album was dropped the entire band spoke a lot about the next track, titled “Hailey Beverly 2016.” After hearing it, I can totally see why.
While this song is something I wouldn’t have expected from this band, I am not disappointed at all. The next two songs, "Fantasy" and "American Idle", are my personal favorites off of this album.
I definitely didn't think I'd hear a saxophone on "Fantasy", but it was a welcome surprise once again. The lyrics discuss being interested in someone but not knowing if it would actually work out in real life, letting it remain a fantasy.
Up next is “American Idle” which, sonically, is completely different from the rest of the record. Especially through the lines, “At what age do I grow out of anxiety? I’m so tired of the darkness in my mind” Magnan explains how his struggles have changed him as a person, on a track very reminiscent of 2017's "Blue."
Once again switching up the vibe, we move from a very fast-paced song into an acoustic love song, titled “Laylo”. The line “watch you dance around like a fragile ballerina” directly relates to the cover art for the album, as well as for the singles “I’ll Be There” and “Holiday In Vegas”.
One thing that really shines through on the entirety of this record is the progression of Alex Magnan’s vocals. Comparing this to their previous releases shows how much he has grown vocal wise throughout Young Culture’s career.
All in all, this was a great addition to the band’s discography. If you haven’t checked out Young Culture I highly suggest you start with this album!
Have you streamed Young Culture’s debut record yet? If you have let us know what your favorite songs are @lgndsoftmrw on Twitter! Keep up to date in the world of the Young Culture by following them on Twitter and Instagram @youngcultureny!
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