Yungblud

One Liner: Highly fun dance/electronic rock with lyrics built to shock.

Wikipedia Genre: Alternative Rock
Home: Doncaster, England

Poster Position: 15
Day: Sunday at 1:00
Both Weekends.

Thoughts: A friend had suggested this guy to me a few months ago when I was in dire need of fresh tunes.  At the time, Yungblud only had a five song EP, and I loved it.  He's loose, raw, excitable, very clearly British, and a little ridiculous.  Not a great voice, purposefully raspy and raw, but the songs can be very fun.  Dominic Harrison is his real name.  Since that EP, he released his full-length debut, 2018's 21st Century Liability, which repeats three of the EPs songs but leaves off one of my favorites, "King Charles."

Groovy, political, rock and roll.  But, like I said, this one didn't make the cut for the album, so maybe I'm alone in digging it.  I dunno.  The track with the most streams was the top one from the EP as well, and is a little more reckless.  "I Love You, Will You Marry Me" has just over 4 million streams.

Much more of a pop rock feel, with that ska guitar bounce and a driving beat.  And a highly entertaining video.

So, after those two songs up above, you can understand why I'm enjoying the guy - fun, energetic, danceable, good times.  Then his album comes out and its sprinkled with songs that leave the fun behind for a message, and I'm disappointed. "Kill Somebody" repeatedly gripes about how someone made him feel bad, so now he just wants to kill somebody like you.  Which honestly isn't that funny or clever.  And the tune is super basic.  "Machine Gun (F**k the NRA)" is, not shockingly, a screed about depressed/psychotic people who get made famous by using their machine gun (or otherwise hurting themselves).  Again, not really presented in a way that provides useful commentary on the subject, just a mediocre beat and apparent excitement about showing off and machine guns.  "California" has a neat chorus capper - "swear that when I get old you'll blow my brains out."  "Die for the Hype" has a chorus asking to die for the hype, "crucified like Jesus Christ."  I'll give you the most streamed of the new tracks, another happy tune.  "Psychotic Kids," which has 783k streams.

Oh, neat!  Crazy kids don't know what they want!  You dropped the hair dryer in your bath!  Your parents are stupid!  And the video gets just as disturbing.  Maybe he decided the Marilyn Manson shock-rock route was the best way to get fans?  Does that still work?  In this interview, he says that he just wants to sing about real subjects that other people tiptoe around, so I guess I get that (sort of?).  "And I want this album to be an outlet for people who feel like they can’t be themselves, or feel like they can’t say what they think. Because if you feel like your voice isn’t important, you’re wrong. It is. Everyone’s voice is important."  MMMkay, not sure how giving voice to assholes who want to kill someone is a good idea?  Maybe I'm missing some clever hidden meaning here, but that seems like a super shitty thing to do?

He also released a 2018 EP of four of his songs in an unplugged setting, which are tender and kind of arresting.  I talked about "Polygraph Eyes" back in my original review, very good tune, and sounds even cooler when stripped.

I kinda feel like, despite my reluctance to buy into the new album, I'd like to go see this guy and tap into the energy.  Maybe see him before he blows up.  Feels like that kind of a show.