Young Guns - Ones and Zeros (ALBUM REVIEW)

These guys were the first band that I ever saw live back in 2010, promoting their first ever album, All Our Kings Are Dead, and they were becoming one of the most promising alternative rock bands in the UK rock scene. So they were a special band to me, but the more they progressed into a different band every album, the more I become open minded because their first effort had so much aggressive and emotional impact, like Stitches and After The War being the emotionally driven tracks complementing riff-blowing tracks like Elements and D.O.A. They still had that punch within their second album, Bones, with the title track being an anthemic track of theirs, and some of them were hidden gems but never really captured the same ambiance with their brilliant debut.

So now, after months, almost years of disappearance, they are back with a completely different sound, almost to attract the mainstream audience, but not strand away to their old, driven sound that it dissatisfies their fans because you still hear it in their latest album, Ones and Zeros. They're definitely heading towards the anthemic route so fans can shout and sing along at live gigs, and maybe perhaps the arenas in the future, because you can notice within the choruses in most of the tracks in the album. The first track, Rising Up, blows up into this aggressive riff but has this R&B type of beat that somehow works, there is an unusual mix of hip-hop and rock which creates unpredictability within the next few tracks in the album. The first single however, I Want Out, is a very radio-friendly song, and it has been compared to The Killer's When We Were Young, which received some mixed reviews. It doubted some fans before whether the album will be like the track, and unfortunately this is the case. But I do not necessarily find that as a bad thing, as most tracks can be a memorable single. They are very synth-driven throughout which is a fresh style for the band in my opinion. The Infinity and Daylight will be some of their songs where fans will be chanting within the chorus, and so are the dance-driven tracks Memento Mori and Colour Blind. They still have some hidden gems in the album that are emotionally driven that I admired in their debut album like Lullaby, Gravity and Die On Time in which vocalist Gustav Wood really explores his voice with his harmonies and hitting some interesting high and low notes. The title track ends on a high note, with flexibility in Wood's vocals and harmonies, and has a chorus that is unforgettable. I feel like the standout track in the album was the dance-driven Speaking in Tongues as Wood's vocals shines here and it's their catchiest song after Bones.

Their sound will never be similar to their old music like the hard-hitting EP Mirrors and All Our Kings Are Dead, but there is something about their latest effort that seems very fresh and colourful which I guess what the band is trying to achieve and I must say they did it successfully.



Overall: The album strands away from their ferocious and emotionally driven sound to produce a colourful, synth driven album that newcomers will enjoy. But they still have anthemic tracks that are worth repetitive listens and some hidden gems that showcases their talent. They are definitely heading to a different direction but this album puts them right back on the map.

Check Out: Speaking in Tongues, Colour Blind, Memento Mori

8/10

Ones and Zeros will be out 

June 8th.