It's been an productive few weeks for the Brighton-based art rock group Youth Sector. In February, the band - with an exemplary approach to face and head hair - released it's new E.P Adult Contemporary, which was preceeded with several excellent single releases. The final track to be shared from the E.P, 'Always Always Always' deals with the topic of the excessive aspiration of rampant consumerism, with the band's obvious wit and charm at full throttle.
. Guitarist and lead vocalist Nick Tompkins shared further thoughts:
The song is about greed and blind ambition. Trying to understand wh some people are driven by the pursuit of acquiring more of whatever it is they have at whatever cost.
Much of Adult Contemporary takes aim at many of the buzz topics of the modern era, but with an eccentricity that other bands can't provide. Lead single 'Self Exile' scrutinised those that go on the offensive when proved to be wrong, with a recognition of gaslighting and other extremes of manipulation; the tune has an urgency that resonates and brings to mind those great early Maximo Park singles.
'No.1 Bestseller' is a sceptical lambast at the nature of the wellness and self-help industry to the sound of 80s' influenced funk pop, and 'Is Blood' asks unanswered questions about the human cost of our own land becoming prosperous at the expense of others and whether that should be celebrated. The chorus soars anthemically with inventive use of synth and guitar at it's core - an indie club floor-filler in waiting.Listen below.
Taking a step forward from previous material, Youth Sector have pulled together a collection of songs that have created a blueprint of the band's ethos, without allowing that to overshadow the craftmanship of the songs. They've tapped into the political turmoil felt by many of their peers, but have not made preachy anthems that risk alienating those who don't share their leanings. There's a fine line that often gets crossed without either music or subject matter making an impact and they've managed to avoid that impeccably.
The unpredictability - but undoubted love of the sonic possibilites of a good pop song - pins Youth Sector to the same board as bands like Field Music or a more streamlined Devo; the playful funky basslines and upbeat synths are experimental, but they sure leave a palatable aftertaste. Adult Contemporary is the sound of a band becoming comfortable with it's own leftfield idiom and it's only going to become more apprarent when the debut album arrives further down the line.
Youth Sector are on tour from mid-March, with the following dates confirmed:
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