Young and Restless - Self Titled album review

This is something that should be up on the Syn website by now, in a limited form, but alas. I'm sure it'll show it's face soon...

Young and Restless - "Young and Restless"
Self-Titled debut album

Over the past 12 months “noise” has well and truly established itself as a derivative of indie. A tag to separate the likes of Wolf and Cub, Kiosk and Bit By Bats from The Shins, The Grates and everything nice.

And while you could lump anything distorted, experimental or that contains undecipherable lyrics under the noise banner, the fact is some bands are successful at it while others, to use a friend’s delightful description, sound like “cats to the slaughter”.

Thankfully for my ears, and your budgets should you choose to spend the money, Melbourne-formerly-of-Canberra five piece Young And Restless fit the bill of the former.

What separates Young And Restless is their ability to make each song take on a distinct feel while existing within a genre that at times can sound very similar from band to band.

Having relentlessly toured after being Unearthed last year, Young And Restless have finally released their debut full length release. The 12 track album was recorded by Tom Larkin of Shihad at his Melbourne studios in early 2007 and features guest vocals from Peter Saladino (Brisk) and Tom Lyngcoln (The Nation Blue).

And there is much to like about it, despite it being a watered down version of their powerful live set.

Perhaps the most striking aspect of the album is lead singer Karina Utomo. While thunder might come close to rattling windows, she certainly shatters them, and it is her vocals that form the basis for Young and Restless’ unique sound. She effortlessly sings and screams with an unmatched energy, saying “fuck you” to anyone who dares judge her.

The album’s opener, “Need A Hit”, showcases exactly what Young and Restless are about and gives you a sense of what is to come. A crunching bass drum leads into a driving guitar and deep bass lines, slowing down before tearing the room apart.

There is a certain beauty in distortion.

And you feel you are only just getting into it as it speeds up with the second track “I Pointed At You And You Burst Into Flames”.

The album weaves through elements of catchy, indie disco drum beats (Kapow!) to insane, window shattering vocals (I Pointed At You…). Heavy bass drums and relentless guitars (Need A Hit) back to carefully plucked guitar strings (Black).

At times all of 30 seconds can showcase all four elements at once. The tracks “Police, Police”, my favourite “Here It Comes (Lungs)” and the song that defines Young And Restless, first single “Satan” epitomise this exact sentiment.

It remains a shame that you must wait until track nine to hear “Satan”. It’s a song Utomo has described as being about peer pressure (“step right up and shake hands with the devil / listen to Satan, listen to him”).

Similarities can be drawn between the opening of “Black” and Refused’s “Deadly Rhythm” while “Police Police” displays unintentional hints of The Bravery.

And “Dirty Kicks” remains the low point of the ground breaking debut. Dominated by a dirty guitar feel, it’s a little repetitive and reverts to aspects of “noise” music that can be found in so many lesser artists in the genre – aimless thrashing and a relative (to other tracks) simplicity that doesn’t characterise Young And Restless.

But for the most part it’s an album that will leave you a mess but you’ll feel good about being this way. It’s delicate at times, brutal at others while being amazingly complex, incredibly diverse and full of raw energy. While Karina Utomo destroys any stereotypes in her path, this album destroys every idea of what music is supposed to be like.