Tuesday 27 March 2012

FEATURE: Young Liar


*Originally published for The Generator's, 'Tipping Point Blog' (27/3/12)

With big-ups from Gideon Coe at BBC 6 Music and Sean Adams at Drowned in Sound, as well as support-slots with the likes of Errors, The Futureheads and The Twilight Sad, it looks like the instrumental Geordie 5-piece, Young Liar are really starting to register on people’s radars.

Monday saw the release of their second EP (quite literally titled, ‘EP 2’) through the independent label, The Calico Print, following the record’s launch party at a deserted warehouse in the Ouseburn Valley on Saturday. As hipster as the event sounds, the post-rock tidal wave of noise that sprouts from Young Liar’s single, ‘Sponsored Silence’ is refreshingly modest, but powerful in its delivery.



Opening with a crackle-snap snare and a warm, melting bass line, ‘Sponsored Silence’ invites you into a world of relative calm, before spasming, math-rock inflected guitar and pulsating reverb dashes you right across the head. The track has a bottled-up urgency; like it’s trying to reach some unknown destination. It would be the perfect accompaniment to a night-time drive with the windows wound down.

Even more appealing are its little nuances of experimentation. Sure, it has its predictable break-downs and imitated Explosions In The Sky hooks, but some of the guitars are bent by tremolo arms that splash with jittery Americana. ‘Sponsored Silence’ actually sounds like Explosions with more balls. While that’s a huge statement, no one can deny that some of the Texans’ songs stretch for a bit too long. Young Liar are considering the listener’s needs for musical escapism, but keep it tort at a nice 4 minutes.

‘EP 2’ is now available as a digital download or (if you’re quick) you can get your hands on a limited edition CD via The Calico Print.
Catch them at the Evolution Emerging on 1st June 2012 at the Star and Shadow Cinema.

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