The Young

The Young [7 inch] (2008)

Chris Mellides

The Young deliver a splintering punk rock sound that's heavy on distortion-driven guitar riffs and low-end basslines. This Austin-based band originally started as a home recording project back in 2005 before they officially took to the road in 2007, playing gigs in the Midwest, Northeast and Southern United States.

This self-titled 7-inch serves as the band's debut EP and contains four highly abrasive tunes served up in just under eight minutes.

Once the needle hits the wax the record jumps to life with "Get Out of My Face," a song that is as angst-fueled as one would expect it to be judging by the title alone. The song is very short, but makes up for that fact by including a great hook and an even more impressive shout-along chorus.

Other songs include "Hurt Each Other," "Erase You" and "Nobody Cares," which seem to follow the same pattern and dynamic as the opening track. Again, these are short and powerful numbers.

What this band does particularly well is that they manage to deliver punk rock with an old `80s hardcore edge in a way that is just as bare-boned and stripped-down as the songs dating back to that older musical era. There's no use for fancy guitar solos and perfect harmonies. Instead, what listeners can expect is sound that's as raw as it is reckless.

This release, while being short in duration, definitely packs a wallop and seems to capture a violent vocal streak with just enough hard-edged guitars and deafening drum work to leave a lasting impression.