I’m always cautiously optimistic whenever I receive a new album to review. There are so many great bands and sounds that I’ve never had the opportunity to hear, but there is also some really bad stuff out there too. Really bad. I am happy to say that the new Young Lore EP by Night Riots is about as far away from bad as you could possibly get.
I must admit, I’m so much in my own little world that I had never heard of the band under their current name or their former name (PK). I may be late to the party, but they’ve definitely earned a new fan in me. This six song EP has more genuinely amazing songs than most full length albums can manage. More importantly, most of these songs could be a legitimate hit.
Songs like “Back to your Love”, “Remedy”, “Masks”, “Loyal Blood”, and the title track “Young Lore” could easily be added to any radio stations rotation without missing a beat. The amazing thing is that none of them seem formulaic or even sound that similar to the others. These songs have a great combination of strong lyrics, fun music, and catchy hooks, while still being certifiably rock and roll.
That’s not to take away from “Spiders” as it is an impressive song in its own right. It’s not nearly as poppy as the other songs, but it does a superb job of setting a darker tone; one that bleeds over into “Masks” a bit. What “Spiders” lacks in pop, it more than makes up for in pure awesomeness.
The best way I could describe this EP is to say it sounds like a love baby of The Killers and Two Door Cinema Club who grew up listening to The Cure and U2. It is a really great sound and it would definitely surprise me if this EP doesn’t get some serious buzz around it. What’ve I’ve heard from them as PK sounded like Brandon Flowers as part of a Drive-Thru Records band, which is still amazing but it isn’t quite what you’re going to get with Young Lore. While still incredibly catchy at times, this EP comes off as a bit more of a ‘grown up’ sound.
Do yourself a favor and check this album out immediately. I may never forgive myself for taking so long to hear them.
Release Date: July 30th, 2013
Rating: 4.5 / 5
Runtime: ≈22 minutes
Track List:
1. Back to your Love
2. Remedy
3. Spiders
4. Masks
5. Loyal Blood
6. Young Lore
Lineup:
Travis Hawley – Vocals
Nick Fotinakes – Guitar
Mikel Van Kranenburg – Bass
Matt DePauw – Guitar
Rico Rodriguez – Drums
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Written By: Mark Northern
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