Artist: Until June
Title: Young and Foolish
Label: Madison Line Records
Release Date: 08/21/2012
Reviewer: Sara Walz
Tracklisting:
- Atmosphere
- Shake Me
- Summer Lover
- Young and Foolish
- Slip Away
- What Went Wrong
- I Would Never Hurt You
- Do You Love Me
- Spark
- Vanity
If you are looking for an album to encapsulate the term “ethereal” look no further than Young and Foolish. Following the release of their 2009 EP, Sound of Defeat, the boys in Until June teamed up with Grammy winning mixer Kevin Killen to create a sound that is light and lofty. This release is all about the bells and whistles, incorporating instruments like strings, horns, and what sounds like a xylophone, in addition to a slew of programmed sounds make the album incredibly diverse but cohesive. Each track can stand on its own but is so much better when told within the story of the album. Josh Ballard’s high vocals add to the atmospheric feel and fluid movement of the LP.
Young and Foolish rings of the journal entries of a man trying to find his way, wading through the unknowns of love and putting the pieces together as he goes. The first few words of the record mourn, “Woke up, another fading year has past, the sky is empty,” with the following track singing “down on my knees, I’ve heard the bows of love can set me free,” and later “Oh, my God, it’s not easy to lose something you love.” There isn’t a whole lot of resolution to the story but there is an understanding about life and love, “I never meant to defend my arrogance, you should have known it was only innocence….left alone with my ego to control.”
Overall: Young and Foolish is a dichotomy of music that seems almost otherworldly with lyrics that are planted firmly in the heart, connecting with anyone who has felt the pangs of love. It got a bit repetitive at points but the diversity of instruments kept it from blending into one giant song. Keep an eye on these guys, they’ve got something good going on here.