This is just about all the information there is online on this week’s band highlight, Beloved Youth:
“Beloved Youth are a 4 piece alt rock band from the Cincinnati area. Formed in 2012, the group of childhood friends have released 4 ep’s to date. Combining strong pop melodies, acerbic lyrical prowess and focus on compelling guitar arrangements.”
They should really update their Bandcamp page, because their debut album was released just this March. “Derivative” took its sweet time (14 years!), but came out fully-formed and, frankly, beautifully rendered.
Tthe band’s affinity for riffs is one of the first qualities that jumped out at me – the opening track, “Losing Daylight” is a slow burner that really revs up near the end into the forceful second song “Are You Happy?” By just track two, I could feel this album’s alt rock chops showing.
And the melodies don’t stop coming. Songs like “Automatic” and “Teeth” pull back a bit, but don’t sacrifice their overall catchiness. The band’s songwriting holds up across these tonal shifts, as well as Sean Mac’s particularly impressive vocals, making the disparate singles and such that make up a good bit of this album still feel cohesive.
I also have to shout out Alexandre Hirlinger of Coastal Club for mixing Derivative, because the production is clear as a bell. Every instrument feels right in its place and the vocals are crisp and prominent — lo-fi this is not.
My personal favorite track has to be “Methuselah” — the band hits a real sweet spot of fun and intensity. Mac builds and builds in a whirlwind on the verses, echoed by frantic guitars that do a really cool switch-up in the final minute.
To sum up: check this album out. If you’re into anything remotely in the rock sphere, this would slot into your playlist or your CD case quite nicely.
You can find last week’s feature on Jess Lamb here. Leave a comment on our Instagram or email me at ebloomfield@linknky.com with your suggestions for next week’s local band highlight!