Second Youth – Dear Road – Review

On March 9th, 2018, the new Second Youth album “Dear Road” was released, under Indiebox Music and Demons Run Amok, available on both CD and vinyl. From a great friendship and passion for music, merged between England and Sardinia, in 2015 Second Youth were born; these characteristics are immediately evident at the first listening to “Dear Road”. This is a hard album, without many frills, with their scratching and melodic instruments, which make you think of the sun shining on the long and crowded beaches of California, and Andrè Suergiu’s roaring voice, the result is an adrenalized adolescent punk rock!

The curtain opens with a great track that lets all its energy flow out already in the title “Friday Night”, which is the single that on February 5th preceded the album release; the song makes me imagine having fun at the spring formal in one of those American high schools that we can only see in movies! Then there is “This City”, my favourite LP track: incisive, penetrating and full of choirs, a simple and effective mix that never stops being underestimated. Track number 3 is “Letter Home”, the band’s new single, which unfortunately does not strike me as the first two tracks. Then my attention was captured by “1992”, a warm and “shaking” track that is almost mandatory for such an album.

“Boots and Mohicans” is a nice ballad that I didn’t expect; this song is really a satisfying surprise because it is distinguished from the usual punk rock ballads thanks to the peculiarity of the leading voice.

The album ends with a song that gives the album its name: “Dear Road”, a pleasant fusion of upbeat and shalalala!

This is objectively a very well studied in every detail and well produced work, but that also leaves room for that vein of spontaneity that transpires from beginning to end.

I recommend “Dear Road” to all Californian punk rock fans, especially to those who have worn out Rancid’s records.

ALBUM RATING: 7.5

Reviewed by Ruiha
Translated by E.C.