Forget, for a moment, siblings Eleanor and Matthew Friedberger of The Fiery Furnaces. Forget married couple Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel from Mates of State. And forget ex-lovers and fake siblings Jack and Meg White, The White Stripes.
These boy-girl duos have infiltrated music scenes at every echelon, from MTV's bright lights to the darkest corners of many hometown's smallest clubs. Surprisingly, each one seems to fill its own niche: The Stripes, dated but dependable; the Furnaces, eclectic and risk-taking; and Mates of State, cute but unbearable.
The debut album from The Youngs -spouses Eryn and Tim Young -is no exception. An eerie cloud of atmospherics drifts from song to song, often letting bits of sunlight pop through. It's a testament to the songs' quality that among the many five-or six-minute songs, most take enough twists and turns to stay exciting for the full duration.
The Youngs take advantage of the potential for interplay between diverse voices. Breakdown is the best example; the song might come apart except for its hinge, a dynamic buildup to a few harmonized syllables courtesy of Mr. and Mrs. Young.
Elsewhere, Again for Love recalls the Super Furry Animals' lush ballads, and The Industrial Way is catchy retro-pop with plenty of Cars-style keyboards and guitars. The record touches on innumerable other genres, but it all sounds like The Youngs, and as it turns out, that ain't a bad sound at all.
17 Archives
Chris DeVille
