When was the last time you said “they’re going to be huge” and meant it as a genuine, from-the-heart compliment? There is a gap, which shows little sign of closing, between pop ubiquity and perceived quality and it’s one into which Years & Years have strayed on ‘Communion’, their debut album.
As winners of the BBC’s Sound of… poll for this year their rise to prominence was perhaps not guaranteed, but given the fact that Sam Smith, Haim, Adele and Ellie Goulding have pocketed it previously, bets were going that way. It was quickly confirmed as a couple of singles rattled to the top of the charts, borne aloft by the sort of pop-house anthemics currently woven into the fabric of UK pop.
The balancing act to be struck here, then, is between songs that have already proven their mettle and others that are a little more circumspect. Across ‘Communion’ there are moments of real warmth and quality, while Olly Alexander is a vocalist with just a little of Justin Timberlake’s ability to switch from introspective croon to dancefloor commands in his locker, but it’s the singles that will stick around the longest.
King and Shine are the pick of the bunch, while Desire and Real also exhibit the trio’s ability as zeitgeist-tapping writers. Each of them are infectious and deceptively clever in their arrangements, notably Alexander’s introduction of secondary melodies. King also plays on one of the album’s big lyrical themes, namely control and the shifting balance of power in relationships. Elsewhere, too, there is longing and a seeping sense of loneliness.
Unfortunately, there aren’t the big-hitting hooks to match. There is a subdued air to much of ‘Communion’, something that flows from its understated opener, Foundation, and pools in the second half, where Ties, Without and Border flounder. Even the nominally upbeat Gold is removed from the record’s highlights. Of the ballads, Eyes Shut is a cut above and features the desperately sad lyric: “Nothing’s going to hurt me with my eyes shut. I can see through them.”
Years & Years have the bare bones of a good album here, but in their quest for pop stardom they have fallen prey to one of its oldest traps. The singles here are head and shoulders above most of the competition.
Years and Years Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Fri October 09 2015 - BIRMINGHAM O2 Academy Birmingham
Sat October 10 2015 - NORWICH Norwich Nick Rayns LCR UEA
Sun October 11 2015 - NOTTINGHAM Rock City
Tue October 13 2015 - SHEFFIELD O2 Academy Sheffield
Wed October 14 2015 - LEEDS O2 Academy Leeds
Fri October 16 2015 - NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE O2 Academy Newcastle
Sat October 17 2015 - GLASGOW O2 ABC
Sun October 18 2015 - MANCHESTER Albert Hall
Tue October 20 2015 - LIVERPOOL O2 Academy Liverpool
Wed October 21 2015 - BRISTOL O2 Academy Bristol
Thu October 22 2015 - CARDIFF Cardiff University Students Union
Sat October 24 2015 - BRIGHTON Centre
Mon October 26 2015 - SOUTHEND Cliffs pavillion
Tue October 27 2015 - LONDON O2 Academy Brixton
Wed October 28 2015 - LONDON O2 Academy Brixton
Wed November 04 2015 - BELFAST Mandela Hall
Fri November 06 2015 - DUBLIN Olympia Theatre
Click here to compare & buy Years And Years Tickets at Stereoboard.com.
We don't run any advertising! Our editorial content is solely funded by lovely people like yourself using Stereoboard's listings when buying tickets for live events. To keep supporting us, next time you're looking for concert, festival, sport or theatre tickets, please search for "Stereoboard". It costs you nothing, you may find a better price than the usual outlets, and save yourself from waiting in an endless queue on Friday mornings as we list ALL available sellers!
.jpg)
.jpg)
