Album Review: The Young Veins - Take A Vacation

For Ex-Panic! At The Disco's Ryan Ross and Jon Walker, The Young Veins is their new start but for some its a clear indication of where the 1960's influence from the former's 'Pretty. Odd', a record that I thought had its good moments but with too many tracks. 'Take A Vacation' has a very 60's pop influence, possibly too much.

Throughout guitars twang along with light, bouncy drums and simple, high harmonies. From start to finish you want to see the band develop their own identiy but time and time again you are let down, as it very quickly comes apparent the five-piece seem to be stuck in an era where the music was catchy, laid back and (somewhat) favourable but lacks depth.

Admittedly its certaintly a brave direction to go in but not a refreshing one, as you are endless comparing them to bands from that era; the title track and 'Cape Town' sounds like The Beach Boys, 'Maybe I Will, Maybe I Won't' is a McCartney-led 'Revolver'-esq Beatles number and the opening 'Change' kind of (and unfortunately) sounds like The Monkees.

However if you ignore the whole 60's tone of the album, you are left with a record that is at times pleasing on the ear; 'Young Veins (Die Tonight)' sways along at an upbeat pace, 'Everyone But You' is a slow, laid back folk-y ballad with 'Dangerous Blues' being a complimentary sweet piano number. Perhaps the one (of very few) hightlighs is 'Heart of Mine', the closing track that is jolly, stripped and haves you singing along by the end.

On the whole 'Take A Vacation' lacks weight; both in length and sound. Coming at just past the half hour mark and 11 songs deep, you feel that band could have done something more to explore their ideas and perhaps a longer time scale would of led to this. Instead you're left with a record that sounds light and shows little in terms of varation.

2/5

'Take A Vacation' by The Young Veins is available now in the US and is released in the UK on July 5th One Haven Music/ADA.

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Sean Reid