ALBUM REVIEW: The Modern State – The Young Hearts

Debut albums aren’t the sink-or-swim they once were but that doesn’t mean they’re any less important. They’re a fantastic way to get a feel of where a band is starting from and to get glimmers of where they’re going. After their 2017 EP Honestly, I’m Just Thinking, THE YOUNG HEARTS took their time to hone their sound and craft their debut album, The Modern State. Time that, from first listen, it’s evident was well-spent.

Thematically the album deals a lot with growing pains; a wistfulness and nostalgia that comes with age, but also an early 20s angst that leads through to the 30s with the realisation you’re still working things out the way you were ten years ago. Opening with a brief piano before an earworm guitar line sinks its hooks in, Wild & Reckless opens The Modern State.

Introspective song-writing is the order of the day here such as on London, that weaves an anthemic chorus into its tapestry of self-reflection and personal growth. For the first few songs at least, The Modern State soars with its arena-ready choruses but the band know the value of being subdued just as well. Swim and Anchor both bring the pace down and let the introspective lyrics shine through, the instrumentation every bit as expressive and emotional as the words. There’s a candid commentary throughout of growing older, along with all the societal expectations and pressures that entail. The expectations are the same but the path has changed – now more than ever after the events of the last twelve months – making this an album about navigating an uncertain future and learning self-acceptance along the way.

The band don’t eschew the trappings of genre but instead gently subvert them. There’s fast-paced moments but there’s also swirling guitars that make the pace feel more relaxed. Slower moments are played delicately, carefully composed so the tenderness isn’t lost under overwrought emotion as so often can be the case. Rather than come off as insincere, the album’s vulnerability is very much real and easy to identify with. The personal lyrics are relatable for many in this day and age, underpinned by introspection and a wistful look to both the past and future. 

The Modern State doesn’t mess with the pop-punk formula too much and is in a lot of ways, the sound of a band playing it safe on their debut. This is by no means a bad thing; instead what THE YOUNG HEARTS do is polish up what’s already there and wrap it around a strong emotional core that will resonate with everyone who hears it. It’s only their debut album but there’s immense promise here in their ability to reach out, connect with people and provide comfort in sound.

Rating: 8/10

The Modern State is set for release on January 29th via Year Of The Rat Records.

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