by Dan O

I’m not going to act as if I know all about Young Fathers. The myth of the omniscient music reviewer stops here. I definitely heard their 2018 album Cocoa Sugar but my thoughts were probably something like “I’m glad people are acknowledging the influence of TV on The Radio.” I still operate on my mixtape review philosophy: if your cover is dope I’m in. The UK groups new album Heavy Heavy was released 02/03/2023 and the cover is one of 2023’s most beautiful to my eye. The album is anthem sized full of un-ignorable songs that gather and climax leaving you with moments you can always return to. It opens with a desperate yelp and some conga sounding percussion. The thick foggy layer of laser sounds and thumping bass behind the chanting makes this a song you put on in the car and turn the heck up. Just a shot in the arm, a song that knows how good the drums are and calls you to them. It gives you permission to release into them then explains why you needed to all this time. Ideologically, lyrically it’s a simple song or maybe a better way to think of it is streamlined… sleek. The lack of clunky edges or density gives it an aerodynamic flight that carries longer than any other song this year has. I just can’t stop listening to Drum and every time my critic brain chimes in and wonders where it fits in the music of 2023 or begs comparison against other albums I shut that part of my brain off and let my hands drum on whatever is near me.

Please listen to the whole album and purchase below:

https://youngfathersofficial.bandcamp.com/album/heavy-heavy