Hold On Now, Youngster

For something so light-hearted and hook-laden, Hold On Now, Youngster can be a tough, exhausting listen. It's unrelentingly loud, so tracks like 'Broken Heartbeats Sound Like Breakbeats' make you feel as if you're permanently trapped in the state of being awoken by alarm clock, vocalist Gareth Campesinos! making great mileage out of yelping and spinning a metaphor between the ups and downs of a relationship and electro drum loops. But the exhaustion, the loudness, the fact that this album has no let-up at all... that's what makes these guys, this album leaves you with a sense of exhilaration after 45 recorded minutes that most acts would struggle to leave you with live. There really isn't anything wrong with this album. It's just the most amazing sugar rush you're going to have this year, and is what, at this point in time, sounds strongly like the best debut album by a British indie band since Tigermilk. -drownedinsound.com