After a first split single release with the band Reporters that came out on Dufflecoat Records in August 2015, Young Scum properly appeared on the scene in 2016 with their 5-track EP called Zona. We were immediately taken with it and the record ended up in the no. 1 spot of our favorite 2016 singles/ep’s here @ emmas_housemusic. The songs were incredibly catchy, had the right amount of jangle, and expertly balanced on that small line between melancholy and optimism that to some is the definition of good pop music. And if nothing else helped, going back to that post-chorus instrumental part on the title track never failed to elate us, somehow.
After some time (which may or may not have involved losing parts of the recorded tracks in a computer crash), the jangle pop outfit from Richmond, VA, are now back with their debut LP, a self-titled titled 8-track/23 minute affair. Not just because of the perfect album length, the band get everything right on this record — songwriting, drum sound, guitars and especially the vocal lines all confirm that Young Scum are one of the best indiepop bands at the moment. Centered around the hardships of the 20-somethings‘ transition into what most people would call adult life, just like on Zona the band around songwriter Chris Smith succeed in exploring the difficulties and providing effective musical reconciliation at the same time. And really, at the end of the day, what else are we here for, sat in front of our record players, if not for someone to tell us or make us feel that yes, life is hell, but it’s going to be alright.
Young Scum was released in July 2018. Digital/cassette edition via Citrus City Records:
https://citruscityrecords.bandcamp.com/album/young-scum
A vinyl edition is due out in September 2018 on Pretty Olivia Records:
https://prettyoliviarecords.bandcamp.com/