YOUTH GROUP – Casino Twilight Dogs
Although Youth Group’s third studio album is my first experience with their music, I have an immediate point of reference for what I’ve found there. Many children of the ‘80s will want to start their first drive of Casino Twilight Dogs with track eight, a cover of Alphaville’s “Forever Young.” I did at least. Seeing the 1984 original in Napoleon Dynamite made me smile, but having it crop up again as a cover? Golden. A band willing to remake a song already brimming with collective nostalgia signals that they’re either trying to piggyback into pop culture on its success or they’re letting all of us raised on John Hughes movies know they’re on our team. My glass is half full these days, so I’ll choose the less cynical option. Another point of reference more in tune with the younger set is Youth Group’s new bassist, Patrick Matthews, formerly of The Vines. But emo punks be warned: you won’t be immediate Youth Group fans. Their sound compared to the often gritty garage of The Vines is the difference between a sprained ankle and a broken leg. You can’t see The Vines on a compilation album celebrating “The OC,” but Youth Group is right at home there.
Fans of power-pop like Matthew Sweet won’t need to make excuses for adding this one to their personal inventory and can rest assured virtually any track of Casino Twilight Dogs could work well in an episode of their favorite teen-oriented drama. My vote for the series finale of “The OC” would be “Under The Underpass,” track five. The lyrics are a nice look back on youth and the running guitar riff will make you want to revisit Stevie Nicks’ “Edge Of Seventeen” afterward (seriously, play them back to back). The first five tracks are much of the same bubbly energy, but track six, “Sicily,” is a welcome downshift. It let me know at least that there was more to eat in their kitchen than sweets. “Daisychains” builds nicely as the seventh track and even kicks it up a little. There are more thoughtful lyrics and a definitely more complex arrangement without having to pump in the earlier cheer. After the Alphaville homage of track eight, “Start Today Tomorrow” advances again into the ballads. It makes the same sort of references to teens as “Under The Underpass,” though, and that might alienate those of us with a little hair loss. The 10th track, “The Destruction Of Laurel Canyon,” brings back the tambourine and bubble gum, but with lyrics so strange and sometimes incomprehensible it piques adult interest. The remaining tracks, “TJ” and “Christmas Windows” are definite b-sides, but a nice and almost necessary fade out to “Laurel Canyon.”
The music overall is undemanding of the listener, but coupled with the lyrics lends a certain guilty pleasure. It’s pop, ultimately, but in the right frame of mind that’s refreshing.
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