Younger Then
Self-Titled
(Standby Records)
In the likes of Dear and the Headlights, Kings of Leon, and Sorority Noise, Younger Then play a brand of funky-groove rock that combines elements of ambience, grunge, and indie punk. Their label debut, a self-titled EP of six tracks, is more than a proper introduction. In its first half, “December” is upbeat and energetic, “Ghost” melts out the speakers in its transcendence, and “Forget Love” moves sweet and gently. In its second Act, “Sweetest” rolls back into the more frantic passion of the album’s opening, “Like Hell” blares unexpectedly in its chorus, and “Uproot” closes the collection in an emotional outreach of hands and lungs. Younger Then are experimental in their tight, yet messy formula of rock blends, and it works fantastically. A full length follow-up is much anticipated.
