After the 2014 release of ‘Cavalier Youth’, Surrey quintet You Me At Six went rather quiet. Once the initial album release tours and shows were complete, they seemed to fall off the face of the planet – but they only did so in order to write and record their follow-up ‘Night People’. With an announcement made over the course of the summer at Reading and Leeds Festival, along with a pair of ‘secret’ sets, the music industry started chomping at the bit to get their ears wrapped around the band’s newest release.
The last few months have seen You Me At Six drop singles across the likes of BBC Radio 1 in the form of title track ‘Night People’ and ‘Swear’, which received critical acclaim. As for the rest of the album? Well, that’s pretty damn unshakeable too.
Charged riffs rip through ‘Plus One’ and frontman Josh Francheschi’s vocals are, as always, simply huge – they’re strong, steady and sure of themselves. A bold and vibrant atmosphere opens up ‘Heavy Soul’ whilst ‘Swear’ soars to ridiculous heights, complete with a punchy chorus. ‘Make Your Move’ is heavily packed with powerful guitar work and tight drums as is ‘Can’t Hold Back’; slick riffs make it a dynamic track.
On this release, You Me At Six explore their softer side: ‘Take On the World’ is a stripped back affair, showcasing the finesse that this group have switching between loud, raucous rock tracks and emotional acoustic ones.
On the outside, ‘Night People’ is a solid return for You Me At Six – it comes with plenty of sing-along tracks and it’s almost a comforting album, as it’s reminiscent of the teenage years for many of their fans. However, when the album’s been played through a couple of times, it quickly becomes tired. It doesn’t sound too different to their last release ‘Cavalier Youth’, making it boring. Regardless, it’s a release that’ll please many.
JESS TAGLIANI