Los Campesinos – Hold on Now, Youngster. The album title is clearly tongue in cheek because this album is so youthful. On Amazon, the album is listed as neo-psychedelic. And I say what?? These songs do not fit under the label. Don’t get me wrong this stuff is very ambitious stuff. Yet never at the expense of a hook. I mean if you squint you can call this music punk. The band throws some any styles into the mix that you any number of genres could claim it. Psych? Punk? Pop? Indie? All figure in. And that’s what makes it so fun.
The structures are varied. There are fast parts, there are slow parts. Boy-girl vocals.
Singer-songwriter aspirations. ( There is some Belle and Sebastian in this, if they were really excited.) Keyboards and the like vie with noisy guitars. It is some of the best noise-pop I’ve heard in awhile. (More pop less noise. Bis is in there somewhere, I think.) I really like the clever and ironic lyrics as well.
I am outside the demographic for this stuff but I don’t care. I have been listening to this album religiously for the last two weeks. It is not just for the breadth but the depth. There is a vital humane quality to this stuff which over rides any spot the influence game you can play. Favorite tracks? Just press play. You will like it all or wonder what the deal is.
Here’s some you tube videos give you a taste
Tags: Best of 2008, Calvin Johnson, Henry Rollins, Indie pop, Los Campesinos, youtube
