SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: YUNGBLUD – YUNGBLUD

Yungblud
Yungblud
Locomotion/Geffen Records

There comes a time in every artist’s development where they rise above early influences and present themselves as fully formed entities. In his eponymously-titled third album, Yungblud (née Dominic Harrison) does just that – after a fashion.

As a collection, Yungblud lives at the well-traveled intersection where punk meets pop. The delivery and performance is impassioned, and while it is raw at times, the sound is polished. This is no punk album. These are well-written pop songs presented with driving drums and buzz saw guitars.

The production on Yungblud may be shiny, but the emotion and messages are direct and sincere. The artist, well-known for his inclusive stance, embracing folks from all walks of life, gives us songs that are honest and relatable. Obvious stand-outs include the leadoff track, “The Funeral”, with its heavy guitar riff, anthemic chorus, and message of self-acceptance. Haunting, yet uplifting with its rapid-fire delivery, “Memories” (Yungblud’s collaboration with Willow) also bears special mention here. With the artist’s versatility as a singer and songwriter, every song on Yungblud is a hook-filled confection. This album will probably be huge, and rightly so.

It might be easy to write Yungblud off as being stylistically derivative, if it were not so good. One could go through this album, track by track, and pick out sonic nods to punk and new wave music of the past. But, that would be a fruitless exercise. Better to enjoy it for what it is: the work of an artist who is the sum total of his influences.

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