The first thing you hear from Never Young is the sound of gurgled electronics before the band rips into a frenetic rendition of "Like a Version." It's jarring and disconcerting, a trick the Bay Area punk band use several times as they alternate between playing jarring, discordant noisy riffs and hyper melodic guitar work that wouldn't feel out of place on an '80s British New Wave record, all the while sounding very loud.
The mix made hearing vocals nearly impossible — a shame as the interplay between guitarist/vocalists Christopher Adams and Nikolas Soelter was a great one. They'd trade off sections of verses or come in together with howls, growls and caterwauls. Nevertheless, the band sounded most impressive summoning waves of feedback during breakdowns, only to bend it back, something that felt entirely exhilarating.
Underneath the layers of crushing noise lay an incredibly interesting band and a future appearance from Never Young would do well to have those other elements presented.
The mix made hearing vocals nearly impossible — a shame as the interplay between guitarist/vocalists Christopher Adams and Nikolas Soelter was a great one. They'd trade off sections of verses or come in together with howls, growls and caterwauls. Nevertheless, the band sounded most impressive summoning waves of feedback during breakdowns, only to bend it back, something that felt entirely exhilarating.
Underneath the layers of crushing noise lay an incredibly interesting band and a future appearance from Never Young would do well to have those other elements presented.
