I was very new to Young and Heartless going into this record. To be honest, I didn’t even know what genre of music these guys played until I pressed play. I was pleasantly surprised by what I was hearing from the rock band out of Harrisburg, PA. Being a huge fan of bands like Brand New, Northstar, Sainthood Reps and Maker, I was loving every second of Young and Heartless’ music. I haven’t came across a new band playing this type of music – that I’ve been into this much – in quite some time. The record goes by the name of The Pull of Gravity, and will be out June 24 via Mayfly Records. It’s one hell of a debut full length. The record starts off with “Haunted,” which starts quietly – but it gets very loud shortly after. The soaring guitars and passionate vocals really start this record off in a very strong manor, and I really enjoyed how the track kind of progressively calms down again before it comes to an end. Actually, the song doesn’t exactly end; instead, it flows into track two. “Desk Rot” is a bit more mellow, driven by a palm mute riff and some beautiful vocals. The riff that comes in towards the end is super ambient and attention grabbing – ending the song on a very strong note. “Weather Die” has a completely different vibe than the first two tracks. The acoustic guitar and drums feel very indie-rock, before picking up a bit more towards the halfway mark. The song is at a faster pace, but it feels very dark and eerie. “Golightly” is a very interesting track. It weaves in and out of a loud chorus and ambient verses. I really enjoyed the smooth yet dramatic transitions in this song. It’s an example of some great musicianship.
“Virgin” is a nice, calm midpoint in the The Pull of Gravity. Containing beautiful guitar work and calming drums all the way through, this song also contains my favourite vocal performance on the entire record. It just feels like every ounce of emotion was poured into this song. There’s even some horns in the background for a bit during the track. “Oliver Street” brings back the ambient/loud rock combo that was present in the first two tracks. It’s a great follow up to the calming song that was “Virgin.” The next track picks things up a bit more. “Columbian Skulls” houses attention-grabbing drums and some guitar riffs that are comparable to larger indie-rock acts. The song flows directly into “Lord-well,” which is another in-your-face rock song. It’s strange how seamlessly “Lord-well” transitions from quiet to loud; it feels right and it works great, though.
“Shelf Life” is nothing but a guitar and vocals. There’s very litte harmonies on this one, so it feels very intimate and raw. The second guitar that later comes in really brings a beautiful tone to the second half of the song. “Tomorrow’s Problems” is the most dramatic song on The Pull of Gravity. It feels very different from the rest of the record – especially the vocals. The track almost feels angry or stressed. It’s a new combination of emotions brought to the table and a nice surprise towards the end of the record. The Pull of Gravity ends with the title track. The song is one big climb to a very loud ending. It feels like a closing track and makes for a very satisfying ending to the record. “The Pull of Gravity” is a very heartfelt farewell from a very heartfelt record.
There’s a million great things I could say about this record, but I feel you will not truly understand how amazing it is until you listen to it yourself. It’s one of those records that instantly feels timeless. The Pull of Gravity is full of passion, emotion and incredible songwriting. Young and Heartless brings a sound to this record that most bands who have been doing it for twice as long couldn’t perfect. I believe this record is going to send Young and Heartless down a very successful road this year, as The Pull of Gravity is one of those records you are going to find yourself constantly going back to. Links to pre-order and stream the record are below. Check it out!
