Label: Family Values
After their impressive debut EP ‘Mundanity’, Brighton five piece Youth Sector are back again with new EP ‘Adult Contemporary’. Exploding in with a burst of youthful exuberance, ‘Self Exile’ sets off the party in impressive style. The tightly wound art pop gem manages to show off each member of Youth Sector but never to the detriment of the song. The relentless energy of the drums, the dancing bass lines and the staccato guitar lines all set up to support Nick Tompkins infectious vocals.
‘No. 1 Bestseller’ comes across as an 80’s art pop song in everything from the cheeky guitar to the wobbly synth. This song about the cost of wellness and how companies are trying to sell you self help has a joyous vibe about it that’s undeniable.
Compared to the relatively upbeat tone of the previous two songs, ‘Always, Always, Always’ has an unnerving feel to it as it erupts through your speakers. Once the chorus hits though, it lifts the whole track and has a fun, anthemic quality to it. This change in tone is handled so deftly between verse and chorus it’s barely even noticeable but definitely enjoyable.
‘Is Blood’ jitters in to finish up ‘Adult Contemporary’ and it is yet another tightly wound indie pop dance-along. With the spasming guitars taking turns cutting in and out, the drums keep the tempo going as the bass flutters about the fretboard with abandon.
The youthful energy and upbeat vibes of ‘Adult Contemporary’ are infectious from start to finish and the production is raw and honest. Youth Sector sit comfortably between the pop of a band like Talking Heads and the art indie of Maximo Park. They are their own entity though and you can’t help but feel that this is just the beginning of a great journey.
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