Young People : Five Sunsets In Four Days

When I was young, I always thought that recording artists were exclusively that. I never envisioned band members with second jobs. Of course, just a few scant years ago, when I was a lad, okay maybe more like a score ago, major labels were still a driving force in music, and most probably didn’t have to get real jobs. But these days, with the rise of the DIY culture, money has to be made to press CD’s, get stickers out there, make t-shirts, buy equipment, etc. Yet something inside of me still equates name recognition with monetary independence, which is maybe why I found it interesting to read that one third of the band Young People left the band as they were on the verge of signing with Too Pure Records to attend school. Huh? Rock bands don’t need schooling! Baby I’m not fooling! Zep-isms aside, Young People are now a two-member band (which will expand to four for touring), but those two, Katie Eastburn and Jarrett Silberman, are a musical force not to be trifled with.

Five Sunsets in Four Days is a six song EP that represents the last work that Young People, named after a Shirley Temple movie, created with the help of departed member Jeff Rosenburg. Written and recorded while on tour with the Liars, this sestet grinds, boogies and howls like Young People should. Opener “Hot Horse” is like a two parts Gish era Smashing Pumpkins with one part Tinderbox era Siouxsie and the Banshees. In fact, throughout the EP, frontwoman Katie throws in bits of Siouxsie, scraps of Björk and shreds of Neko Case. While Eastburn is the only member who takes on vocal duties, the rest of the band exchange instruments willy-nilly, which is amazing considering the drums on every track are absolutely sick, with “Wild Boys of the Road” having one of the sweetest drum and guitar build-ups in recent years.

“The Mountain” contains an electronic feedback noise that makes you think there was an error in the disc pressing, all over throbbing bass drum beats and tribal stick tapping. “Stay Awake” again brings back that Siouxsie feel, a spare Velvet Underground kind of song that changes tempo and style halfway through. “Night Nurse” is what might happen if Björk fronted Echo & the Bunnymen, while closer “Sudden Fear” evokes Interpol in all its stylish glory. Young People are currently planning their first full-length album for Too Pure, and if they can keep up the quality of this EP, which still featured Jeff Rosenburg, then maybe the remaining two members will be able to finally quit their day jobs.

Similar Albums:
Siouxsie & the Banshees- Peepshow
The Sugarcubes- Here Today, Tomorrow, Next Week!
The Cure- Three Imaginary Boys