Review Summary: It's by-the-numbers pop-oriented dance music
And Then There Were None started out as a mediocre metalcore band, then switched styles to a talented blend of rock-inflected emo and dance/electronica for the 2009 release
Who Speaks For Planet Earth?.
Earth was a heavily enjoyable album, but for some reason, the core of ATTWN fell apart shortly after the release, eventually leaving vocalist Matt Rhoades and synth player Sarah Grazani. Rather than totally stop playing music, Matt and Sarah decided to go out on their own, and formed the synthpop/dance duo Young London. In addition to Sarah providing vocals, Young London was much less rock-oriented than its predecessor, cutting out the distorted guitar riffs and toning down the delivery. So, how does
Young London stack up as a record, both on its own and in comparison to Who Speaks For Planet Earth?
In comparison to material by Matt’s former band, Young London literally crumbles. And Then There Were None achieved a successful fusion of guitar-dominated emo and synth/dubstep-focused dance music that kept them appealing to both metal listeners who liked the band’s earlier material, and kept them from just becoming another generic, Tooth and Nail band. With Young London, it’s much more generic, sounding far too akin to a pop contemporary like Lady Gaga or Katy Perry. While this is sad, the energy that was so present on And Then There Were None’s enjoyable 2009 release is present here again, which does breathe some much needed life into the band. Sarah’s vocals are actually a godsend, because they add a layer of variety and prevent Matt from sounding like an Adam Young clone. Plus, she’s actually a skilled singer, and sounds proficient throughout. As for the overall sound, Matt’s previous group had a fun undercurrent, but always kept somewhat serious and somber. With this group, the entire focus of the record is fun, and it’s a prime party album. This is strong for what it is, but still doesn’t quite measure up to
Who Speaks For Planet Earth?.
So, are there any powerful elements of this record? Indeed, yes. “New Reputation” brings an extremely catchy hook and good lyrical flow, as well as a fitting blend of Sarah’s vocals and Matt’s in the chorus. In fact, the whole song is an earworm, and very easy to sing along to. The chorus of “Let Me Go” has some of Sarah’s most formidable vocals all record, while Matt demonstrates a decent ability to rap at the beginning of the verses, and the acoustic guitar in the verse brings back much more of an organic feel. It’s a poppy, upbeat song with fitting synth, a considerate song length, and another catchy chorus. With its slight rock feel and faster pace, “Dangerous” sounds the most like a track by And Then There Were None, and the phone-waving worthy chorus is equal to the one in “Action Is The Anecdote” off
Who Speaks For Planet Earth?. Sarah also takes a verse, and again sounds very powerful.
And Then There Were None were never lyrical geniuses, but they had tact and creativity enough to write love songs without sounding like hormone-infused Owl City or overly pretentious Coldplay, as well as songs about facing inner demons. Young London is rough in the lyrical department, sometimes to the point of embarrassment. While a line like “this love we’re making is a new reputation” is a decent pun, “Celebrity” boasts “everybody wanna be famous, right?” and “living the dream, makin a scene… rockin the shades, lovin the hype”. It’s extremely immature, and sounds more akin to something a star-struck teenage girl would right than mature adults.
Young London do manage to be enjoyable, but the generic, overdone sound does them in. If they were to incorporate some of the rock edge from previous material, perhaps they could stand out more. However, until that point, YL just manages to be an average synthpop/dance band. If you’re more into pop-oriented dance music, then Young London is a better choice for you than ATTWN. If you’re more into emo-infused dance music with a slight rock edge and greater creativity, pick up Who Speaks For Planet Earth?.
