Music Review of Superabundance by Young Knives

“Young Knives” are a three-piece indie rock band hailed from Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire in England. Their band members are Henry Dartnell (Vocals and Guitar), Thomas “House of Lords” Dartnall (Vocal and Bass) and Oliver Askew (Drums and Backing Vocals). They are notable for their geek rock genre, a sub-genre of alternative rock.

Superabundance reminds me of The Futureheads. There are two parts on this album, the first part is fast and crunchy, where the second part is soft and steady. Just like going for a party, we dance till we drop.

Superabundance gets me on with steady guitar and bass filled “Fit 4 U”. This song has the elements and ingredients of a disco rock track, even though the electronic elements are not that obvious. Young Knives really know how to set our mood on and leave us wondering whether we could get more of such tracks.

“Terra Firma” has a 13 seconds intro which brings back the sound of classic guitar rock. Once the tempo comes in and hit it, guitar riffing can be heard constantly in the background, as if we’re listening to the echoes of the guitar. Not only that, Young Knives invite people to join in their chorus by raising their hands and sing, “Fake rabbit, real snake, terra firma, terra firma…” Strange lyrics, but the guitar echoes told me to just enjoy Terra Firma.

“Up All Night” started off with some wolf-like howls. The guitar that comes in right after resembles those of Terra Firma. Honestly, Up All Night has got some great rhythm and music that i didn’t really expect. The chorus especially, shows some great combination work between the guitar and the vocals of Young Knives.

In “Counters”, Young Knives can be heard as if they were singing away at a distance, “We’re not numbers… We’re the counters…” But once the real song hit the right gear, the whole song wakes me up and i find myself nodding and enjoying Counters. The guitar of Counters is really catchy and not only that, the chorus that comes along fits in very well. No doubt that Counters is one of the notable tracks on Superabundance.

“Light Switch” has quite a long music intro before Henry can be heard singing. With the guitar sounding sort of cute during the verse, i find myself smiling mildly when listening to Light Switch. “You are the light switch…”, sung Young Knives. The chorus here almost has the same effect as Terra Firma, simple and easy to follow, and yet catchy. Young Knives take it slow with “Turn Tail”. The guitar intro somewhat reminds me of Here We Are by Bloc Party, constant plucking at the same note throughout a period of time. With Turn Tail, Young Knives are showing another side of themselves. I saviour the chorus particularly, “Turn tail and run, i will turn tail and run…” where viola can be heard supporting the vocals of Henry and co.

“I Can Hardly See Them” has an explosive opening with steady drum beats and guitar stroking, leaving me impatient. Throughout this track, i can feel that Young Knives are trying something new here. I Can Hardly See Them is different from the tracks above so far. For some, they might think this track is banging loud. But for me, i like the fact that Young Knives are trying to show us what they are capable of doing. I Can Hardly See Them stands out in its near-explosive music.

“Dyed in the Wool” struck me instantly. The guitar, bass and drums are so catchy and friendly, one couldn’t help but like this song. You can find Young Knives belting it out together in the chorus, “I’m dyed in the wool….” in a number of loops. The funny thing is, when Young Knives do this, i find myself picturing Young Knives turning their heads as they sing. Dyed in the wool is a simple track with the repeating music from start to end, but i like it.

Young Knives begin “Rue the Days” with, “La la la la…”. Following on, Henry sings in some sort of surround-voice. It reminds me of Damon Albarn of Blur in some ways. In the chorus, Young Knives again belt it out together in this 90s-influence track. Rue the days can sound old, but to me, they sound brand new and good.

“Flies” is a short song dedicated to flies and is accompanied by brief guitar and bass, only viola can be heard most of the time. Not a bad track if you pay attention to the lyrics.

“Mummy Light the Fire” is a mid tempo track where it’ll slowly grow onto you. The chorus is great with Henry keeps repeating, “Mummy Light the Fire… Fear, I feel fear…” until the music just blends in with the rhythm of Henry’s singing, especially with the sound of what sounded like a car’s honk or some trumpets. It’s like driving a new car until you be one with the car. How does that feel? You should know yourself.

The first part of “Current of the River - Long Cool Drinks by the Pool (Hidden Track)” is also a mid tempo track with the quality of ending an album. For the verses, it’s quiet and tempo-building. When it comes to the chorus, it explodes! Young Knives play it banging loud and keep the person listening to Superabundance awake with, “The current of the river, brings voices under water…” Young Knives know where to hit the loud button and where to hit the quiet button in Current of the River, making it worth your while to check out this song. Long Cool Drinks by the Pool is not a bad track as well. Its musical style shares a common with Art Brut’s, speaking rather than singing throughout the whole track. The guitar gives us an impression that havoc is coming, and sounding cute at times where Young Knives go, “La la la la…” Definitely a happy and laughing ending for Superabundance.

Rating: Superabundance by Young Knives has a lot in common with This Not The World by The Futureheads. They are really playing it big in the post-punk revival genre. Throughout Superabundance, if you listen carefully, there are some electronic and dance elements in all their songs. It’s really good for party-goers who have low appetite for pure electronic music. And the person is me. Well it took quite a while for me to like Superabundance, perhaps after the second time listening to them? And i surely didn’t regret liking and enjoying it. There are some really catchy music and hook on Superabundance, and never fails to get me nodding my head. Not bad at all, i would rate Superabundance by Young Knives 6.9 out of 10.

Stand-Out Tracks (My Picks): Fit 4 U, Terra Firma, Counters, Light Switch, I Can Hardly See Them, Dyed in the Wool and Long Cool Drinks by the Pool.

Cheers!

Darren Tan

Indiesurf.com