You'd think with a name like Young Scum that the band would be cranking out speed metal or Oi! punk, but no. This is more appealing than that. You want an American spin on the staples of the jangle-pop genre? Then you need Lighter Blue, the new album from this Richmond, VA outfit.
On the title cut and the ringing "See It Through", the enthusiasm of Young Scum practically oozes out of the speakers, or headphones as the case may be. As this is the first album from this band in six years, that's understandable. It's also something I admire. There's a lot of joy and energy in these cuts, with some like "Peach Ice Cream", revealing debts owed to early pioneers like The Wedding Present, and more recent acts like The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. The wonderfully-titled and somewhat more subdued "Velvet Crush" proves that Young Scum can do something more complex and nuanced besides songs that are a rush of hooks. This one is a real gem, even if it's slower paced than lots of the rest of Lighter Blue.
Young Scum hit all the marks I'd want a jangle-pop band to hit. They do it very well. Luckily, their material is smartly constructed, and appealing without feeling forced. Songs like "Limeade" are winning in the manner of the best Velocity Girl tracks, for example, where a listener can hear the influences, but where the resulting song still stands on its own terms as a great pop offering. Lighter Blue is full of stuff like that. Any reader of this site will likely love this one as much as I do.
Lighter Blue by Young Scum is out now. Details below.
[Photo: Young Scum Bandcamp]