Lunch of Champions

Young Dudes LP

Those without turntables may have missed it, but there’s a growing trend in vinyl music. More and more new vinyl records are sold with a code that allows the consumer to download the album in mp3 form. A perfect solution for those, like myself, who are in love with their big, bulky record collection but can’t get by without the portability of digital music.

Young Dudes (Zach Wilson – bass. Matt Torbinson – vocals, guitar, keys. Katelyn Farstad – drums. Dustin Miller – guitar.) have taken this trend one step farther with their first full-length album, a self-titled vinyl ONLY release that comes with a free CD of the album so everyone can listen. At only $12 bucks (purchased on their site or at a show), it really is a good deal.

(Above: Young Dudes’ LP)

The album is heavy-duty balls-to-the-wall rock. While the modern influences are obvious, the roots of their sound seem deeply planted in rock history. What really sets it apart from modern main-stream rock is the melodies. It’s not so much that the melodies are particularly complex or anything, but just that it focuses so much on the melody while still bringing the rock. Listeners might get flashes of the Rolling Stones, particularly on the track (Doin’) Crimes.

The sound is very well built. At its core are breathtaking drums and bass , not only supplying the rhythmic glue holding the band together, but layering in their own voices above and beyond the usual metronomic flatness that seems to drive so much modern music. On top of that are simple but satisfying keyboard licks, a nice distorted rhythm guitar and a great metallic-sounding solo guitar, all toped off with vocals that whine and scream but still stay perfectly. It may be surprising to some that, as of the Album’s release, the Young Dudes had only played a dozen shows in their four years as a band.

While the album succeeds as an entity, with only eight tracks it falls just short of half-an-hour long. While the old adage “Leave them wanting more” does apply, I really wish the album were longer and had a few more tracks. It’s just a little unsatisfying to find yourself at the end so early. I wonder if perhaps they should have focused on an EP with a full-length album to follow soon after, once they’ve recorded a few more songs.

In the end, this is a young band who have produced a breathtaking first album. Given the quality of this release, I expect great things from them in the future.