25/02/2014

You Me At Six- Cavalier Youth | Album Review



You Me At Six are famous for being in a constant state of transition. From their debut days as fresh faced pop punk teens to the mature alt-rock image they've established their progression is notable. Their latest album Cavalier Youth has promised a furtherance in their sound and tracks that are supposedly "better than ever." 

However can this album step up to the hype it's been garnering lately? Well the start is hopeful. Tracks such as "Fresh Start Fever" do evoke the angst heavy tones that their previous album was famous for. Similarly the lyrics are as sharp and thoughtful as always, matched only by the seething and brooding back beat. 

Unfortunately that's where the similarities end and the experimental portion of the album begins. It's easy to see where the band are trying to go with this altered sound. Their demographic largely consists of teenage girls. Yet their attempts of making songs more relatable and upbeat creates the opposite effect. Tracks such as "Wild Ones" and "Be Who You Are" feel watered down, forced and generally nonplussed.   

The usual fierce enthusiasm feels lost amongst a corporate tide of try hard optimism. What it lacks is the characteristic realism that You Me At Six usually bring to their music. Without it each song seems to blur into the other with no real definition or personality. If they can bring back the bite that "Sinners Never Sleep" possessed and marry it with the slick professionalism of this latest effort then the sky's the limit.

6/10

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