Review Summary: For a debut LP, While We're Young does everything that Pegasus Bridge wants it to, but leaves much to be desired.
It's odd how appropriate the album art for Pegasus Bridge's debut LP,
While We're Young is. The young boy wearing the get-up of a full grown business man is almost a self-aware message of what's to come from the record - a mostly young band trying to show themselves off as seasoned veterans in order to get their name into the industry. They wear a indie-pop veneer akin to that of a watered down version of The Killers but with a lot less gaudy theatrics to make themselves an easier pill to swallow for newer audiences. As unappealing as that may sound they manage to not break the barrier between catchy pop music and unbearably polished radio-electronics. For the first track, "Like Dogs", we receive the utilization of the classic clap-along beat to hook us and an explosive chorus to reel us in. The tried and true methods of former British indie-pop groups both help the group establish their voice, while ultimately bogging them down with their lack of variation and unwillingness to try anything fresh or unique. For a debut LP,
While We're Young is everything that Pegasus Bridge desires it to be, but never quite reaches the heights that the band seems capable of.
But in a scene so easy to please, what sense does it make to try to break the mold? They provide the energy and the catchy tunes to make radio stations jump all over them, as well as a young luster to make them a band young listeners pine for. With the electronic fueled energy of "Ribena" (paired with an acoustic version for the sake of filler) sure to be a hit, along with the sing-along appeal of "Yoko" (also paired with an alternate version), there is a definite appeal to the group in terms of just pure fun, but the lyricism leaves much to be desired. The snappy drum beats and swift guitar licks try their best to make up for lines like "She gets jealous when I'm away/I've got nothing else left to say/Yoko Ono" but unfortunately fall very short. As much as the catchiness of
While We're Young begs to be embraced, it barely holds its own in the overwhelming number of bands trying to do the same. However, there still remains potential for the young band, so here's hoping Pegasus Bridge takes up the challenge.
