Youth Group - 'The Night Is Ours' Review

Youth Group are an Australian quartet that make dreamy rock music full of wistful melodies. The Night Is Ours is a romantic, tragic record, and even though not many of the songs have happy endings, it’s a good bet that most listeners will be left swooning. Led by frontman Toby Martin’s moony vocals, Youth Group touch on modern rock and postpunk influences, and while the band isn’t well known in the States, The Night Is Ours will definitely be of interest to those who love the layered, atmospheric arrangements of Death Cab for Cutie or Coldplay.

If Youth Group are famous for anything outside of their native Australia, where The Night Is Ours was released back in June 2008, it’s that bassist Patrick Matthews was once one of the original members of another Australian group, the Vines, before splitting with the band in 2004. But anyone who assumes that the two bands sound remotely similar will be in for a shock – while the Vines continue to fine-tune a ragged garage-rock aesthetic, Youth Group rarely break a sweat with their lush, sweeping tunes. It’s no accident that back-to-back tracks on The Night Is Ours contain the word “dreams” in the title – Youth Group seem to be seeking an escape from the crushing tedium of everyday life in their pretty, soothing tunes. The downside to all that beauty is that The Night Is Ours can feel a little sleep-inducing at times, but the graceful compositions have an understated power to them as well.

Don’t let the gentle surface of The Night Is Ours fool you. Emotional pain percolates throughout the record, coming to a head on two of the album’s more assertive tracks, the jittery guitar song “One for Another” (about a compulsive addict and screw-up) and the glittering new wave homage “Two Sides” (which Martin kicks off by announcing “I’m looking for oblivion”). Quite often, Youth Group’s music – accented by strings, organ and horns – is almost deceptively lovely, seducing the ear as Martin lays bare his hopes and fears.

Because The Night Is Ours deals with big, messy emotions, the songs require a certain amount of drama and tension, and Youth Group prove themselves quite adept with these necessary sonic components. On “Friedrichstrasse,” Martin sings sympathetically about someone who’s moved away to a new town far away to make a fresh start, although there are subtle hints that maybe everything isn’t working out. The tune begins as a quiet piano ballad before exploding into a starry guitar extravaganza. Though simpler in its design, “All This Will Pass” rides a surging melody while offering comfort to a brokenhearted lass who keeps making mistakes with romantic partners. The Night Is Ours may be concerned with somber topics – addiction, spiritual isolation, existential crisis – but the lively arrangements counteract the album’s litany of depressed characters, seeking a little light amidst the gloom.

The Night Is Ours should be welcomed with open arms by fans of moody indie-rock that’s high in melodrama and melody. Lesser tracks diminish the album’s overall impact, but all in all these gorgeous tunes are perfect for when you’re feeling sad but still want to believe happy days are ahead.

'The Night Is Ours' – Best Tracks:

“Two Sides” (Purchase/Download)
“All This Will Pass” (Purchase/Download)
“Friedrichstrasse” (Purchase/Download)
“Babies in Your Dreams” (Purchase/Download)
“One for Another” (Purchase/Download)

Release date – April 7, 2009
Ivy League