YUNGBLUD Review

About a week ago I was walking home from my car and lamenting the loss of the old Arctic Monkeys and the failure of a fast and fun band rising to popularity to replace it. I slept on it, and the next morning I was making breakfast and listening to the radio and I heard what I'd been waiting for: YUNGBLUD. I immediately figured out the artist, and I've been listening to this EP on repeat ever since.
Image result for yungblud ep
The self-titled EP starts with King Charles, a bass and drum driven track with multiple tooting, stuttering, and eddying vox samples that carry the song along and give it a very hard to place character. The first verse is a bit claustrophobic in it's proto-rap, but the chorus is a lot better, with some guitar getting in under the vocals that are rhythmically well done and memorable, with some slightly confusing lyrics about capitalism and such. I Love You, Will You Marry Me is a certifiable BANGER about controversial graffiti with the same title from YUNGBLUD's native Sheffield. The song starts with the excellent chorus- a swift mix of shouting and repetitions of "Park Hill Romance". It bangs right into the first verse, where the excellent imagery mixes with a measured falsetto matching the guitar refrain that started the song, with a less well second half of the verse with some almost Island sounding guitar rips. Tin Pan Boy is a pretty energetic guitar-backed song, with the interesting juxtaposition of the classic music setting of Tin Pan Alley and concerns about urban developing and profiteering, showing off YUNGBLUD's mix of punk and electronic influences. Polygraph Eyes is a slow and sad song that starts with a very subdued rap, and a very british sounding chorus about sexual assault, and some peculiar but working synth and guitar backings. Anarchist is a very weird and brooding song with a stuttering electronic drum beat, and speedy and gritty vocals that provide a contrast to the slow guitar.

And so the record ends- detailing the future glory that is YUNGBLUD. He's definitely going to make a splash with his energetic new mix of punk, electronic music and hip hop, with ILYWYMM already a hit in some places. If he continues with more speedy guitar bangers with some proto rap in them, he will definitely go far. I mean, he was even on late night TV, absolutely tearing up the stage with ILYWYMM!

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