Review of 5 Seconds Of Summer - Youngblood by Thomas Bleach
Australian four-piece 5 Seconds Of Summer have really proved themselves with the release of their third studio album. ‘Youngblood’ hears them striving towards a bolder and more mature sound that channels 80’s synth rock. This record is full of personality, emotion and groove and it couldn't be a better re-introduction to this band. Forget what you already know about 5SOS because this record is nothing like they have ever released before. There are only a couple of songs that even come close to the try hard angsty pop-rock their previous two albums tried to create. The opening title track oozes pulsating synths and drums and introduces this chaotic but experimental synth sound. The honest track looks at a relationship where they’ve reached breaking point and they push each other away but it’s still so confusing saying goodbye as there are still strong feelings involved. The rest of the album follows lead with the groovy ‘Want You Back’, the Twenty One Pilots inspired ‘Valentine’ and the absolutely 80’s inspired ‘Talk Fast’. It’s bold, different and will have you constantly wondering what they are going to do next. ‘Moving Along’ returns to their rock roots with an injection of indie-pop which polishes it up and will be instantly stuck in your head. But expect a couple of slower tracks like ‘Lie To Me’, ‘Why Won’t You Love Me’ and ‘Better Man’ which aim to swoon you but still give you a groovy vibe. It’s their most consistent body of work yet and hears them truly finding their sound. Their harmonies have never been stronger and their songwriting has never been so honest and raw. Even upbeat tracks like ‘More’ and ‘Woke Up In Japan’ have an emotional undertone that will instantly captivate you. However I’m unsure how I feel about the similarities of Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ in the hook of ‘Monster Amongst Men’. But the rest of the album is pretty close perfect that I am happy to ignore that one little flaw because this is definitely their strongest record yet and is an exciting reintroduction to who 5SOS are as artists.
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