This collaboration between Aerosmith and YUNGBLUD for “One More Time” just doesn’t do it for me. I feel it’s a mismatch. I quite enjoy listening to YUNGBLUD and hearing his interviews, but unfortunately, I just can’t stand Aerosmith, and that includes ‘Walk This Way’ with Run-DMC. Never understood the hype around them. Because of their presence, the EP is spoiled. The raw energy and deep lyrics are lost among Aerosmith’s trademark sound, and therefore make YUNGBLUD’s contribution redundant. The blend hampers YUNGBLUD, and his statement gets lost amid outdated production, making this short listen laborious. If, like me, you’re not keen on Aerosmith, this EP isn’t for you. I won’t be recommending any track because I didn’t enjoy any of them. I will give it a 5 for YUNGBLUD’s contribution.
I believe this is my third review of YUNGBLUD, who is embarking on a new chapter as he seeks to evolve his music further. The opener of “IDOLS” is the mammoth ‘Hello Heaven Hello’, which lasts a staggering 9 minutes and 6 seconds. I am amazed it was released as a single. I do not know how long the radio edit is, but I feel it would make the song worse, as there is a breakdown section over the halfway point. Although it has the raw energy we expect from YUNGBLUD, there is a certain amount of control. Instead of displaying full-on rage, there is more evidence of this on ‘LOVESICK LULLABY’, where he blends guitar shredding and spoken word verses over tender harmonies. It reminds me of many indie rock anthems from the 1990s.
Carrying on with ‘LOVESICK LULLABY’ (Did he get it from the chorus of ‘Mr Brightside’?), the song also shows what has influenced both his sound and lyricism. That being mainly from indie rock and Britpop. It also shows how he is maturing and becoming experienced with the universe. The album, as a whole, shows this mature approach. For example, the aptly named ‘Change’ displays this level of maturity as he focuses more on the rhythm rather than being loud or brash. The only time it rears its head is during the guitar solo, but nonetheless, I can see this track becoming an anthem.
Of course, there is a balance in the type of subjects offered. For instance, ‘Ghosts’ addresses optimism while ‘War’ is the opposite. YUNGBLUD has consistently shared his life experiences, allowing listeners to relate to them regardless of their social status.
YUNGLBLUD’s fans have grown up with him, and his genuine care for his fanbase makes him more than just a musician. In an industry where relationships with fans can often feel pretentious, YUNGLBLUD stands out as a kind soul who appreciates and respects his fans.
Song recommendations: ‘Hello Heaven Hello’, ‘Change’, ‘Ghosts’
here is one thing I do not like about YUNGBLUD, and that is how he pretends to play the guitar. What do I mean? Well, I have seen some footage of him not playing. He has the guitar at his disposal, but the chords seem odd. An air guitarist could do a better job, and to be fair to professional air guitarists, they are proper guitarists without a guitar.
I am not writing an introduction to Dominic Harrison, aka YUNGBLUD, because I have already reviewed his previous album. I didn’t get the hate directed towards him then, and I simply do not get it now. YUNGBLUD is a colossal artist. His sound is bombastic, and when you look at his appearance, you certainly wouldn’t think he would be banging out indie/alternative rock. Again, with his self-titled record, he has made a gem. For me, it is better than his previous album.
He also has much darker subjects, as mentioned in ‘the Funeral’, ‘I Cry 2′, and ”Boy in the Dress’. Apart from sounding indie/alternative rock, he has ventured into the metal core arena and seems to take inspiration from Bring Me the Horizon. With his struggles with mental health, he isn’t that dissimilar to their frontman Oli Sykes.
YUNGBLUD also brings energy to tracks like ‘Memories’ and ‘Sex Not Violence’. Going back to earlier and darker subjects, the darkest would have to be ‘Die for a Night’, where he discusses with the listener honestly if anyone would care if this happened to him.
He comes into a lot of hate and ridicule via social media and the general public, but now he has toned down his arrogance and grown up, you can tell there is a very talented artist behind the alter-ego.
Song recommendations: ‘the Funeral’, ‘Boy in a Dress’, ‘Sex Not Violence’
I have been listening to the band from Leeds (I was prettyshocked to discover that until a bit of interaction with the crowd during a Download Festival in 2014.) towards the end of last year. In the first few days of the current year, I watched some of their gigs combined via the playlist function on YouTube. I also watched one of their recent shows from last year (I say current; it was last February or something.) Now, onto the album…well, as you can see, the title isn’t all that cheery, and when you listen to the record, it synchronises with the title. The subject matters are gritty, too, as the band talks about right-wing politics, addiction, mental health, political correctness, and how the world has become dependent on technology. I was instead struck by the odd choice of having less than ten songs, with the album having just nine, which makes for a relatively quick listen. What it loses in length makes up for it in collaborations, being just under half of the record. It also sees a return to the band’s earlier sound with experimental chucked in for good measure.
The opening track, “Dear Diary”, has an air raid siren thrown in, which one could say is quite apt when you consider the album’s title. You can also hear leading vocalist Oli Sykes declare he can’t stomach any more survival horror and is going insane over the heavy metal guitars. The guitar solo is sublime, which comes in after the first chorus, and the frenetic tempo of the drums will be sure to have you headbanging like Beavis and Butt-Head (Funnily enough, I was watching a football match while listening, and the pace of the play matched the speed of the album.).
I remember hearing some of the tracks being teased in 2019 and 2020 during their shows (Especially“Ludens”, which I might talk about a bit later.). I am next going to focus on “Teardrops” because this one comes from the heart, and Oli doesn’t hold back, and he talks candidly about his years of fighting addiction that led to him becoming depressed and suffering from anxiety. This could well be another turning point in a listener’s life because Oli foretells what it is like to feel rock bottom and how your life is slipping away, and you are just numb. We have the typical Bring Me the Horizon sound to match Oli’s distressed yet passionate vocals with heavy guitars and those hooks that get embedded into your soul every time you listen. With Oli talking about such an ordeal, this song will be the most essential song they have written in a long time. Young people will listen and feel encouraged to see health professionals if they are experiencing the same issues. Hopefully, that will lead to them losing the shame of discussing it withtheir friends and family. “Obey”, however, is a more uplifting track but laced with sarcasm as Oli and Youngblud aim at the shambolic British government.
I did like “Itch for the Cure (When Will We Be Free?)”, but it’s a segue into “Kingslayer”. It is quite simply a transition because both tracks have Pendulum-like Drum n Bass sounds. The Su-metal feature from Babymetal more than matches Oli’s acidic vocals, bringing an anime feel.
Now, the title is something of a mouthful: “One Day the Only Butterflies Left Will be in Your Chest as You March Towards Your Death.”…You see? It’s a bloody long titleand could be more pleasing to read.But, despite my love of the Pendulum-Esque “Kingslayer”, the final track with Evanescence’s AmyLee runs away with the victory. Considering her vocals on “Bring Me to Life” by her band Evanescence, Amy Lee is ideal for this. The song has a very hymnal sound that gradually blossoms into slower pop. I love the vocal combination; you can feel how both got intocharacter. It’s not a conventional Bring Me the Horizon song; itis more suited to Evanescence, but it is pretty beautiful despite the title and the ghostly aura.
Song recommendations: “One Day the Only Butterflies Left Will be in Your Chest as You March Towards Your Death”, “Teardrops”, “Kingslayer”
I never knew who he was until he started to date Anaïs Gallagher (I’m not sure if that has ended now.), and I saw what looked like a stereotypical post-2010 white rapper. So, naturally, I stayed clear of his music because I think those rappers are fucking dire when you consider what they were like pre-2010. Upon doing my research, I discovered that he first caught people’s eye with his 2018 mixtape “21st Century Liability”, followed by “the Underrated Youth EP” the following year. His appearance is a prime example of never judging a book by its cover because his songs are rock, pop-punk, emotional rock, and punk. I was shocked that the young lad from Doncaster who refuses to take Ritalin to temper his ADHD was indeed inspired by that type of music. During these mixtapes, he attacked out-of-touch parents with today’s youth, and he represents the voice of the youth movement.
Yes, Yungblud may be bold, confident, and arrogant, but the Dominic Harrison side shows up now and again. That side is empathetic towards the LGBTQ+ community, sexual violence victims, and gun crime prevention. Don’t forget that he was also involved in the protests by the Black Lives Matter movement, even going out of his way to fly over to America to demonstrate alongside them. All this when you consider at that time of the year, this side of the pond was on a severe lockdown with only essential businesses open.
Aside from all that, this is the debut effort called “Weird!”. It departs from the mixtapes as he goes more mainstream with the sound. Think of Green Day, 5 Seconds of Summer, Thirty Seconds from Mars, A Day to Remember, and Paramore, and you’re on the right track.
“Superdeadfriends” is inspired by the Beastie Boys, and the title track sounds like the Cure did it, albeit not lyrically. Yungblud flip-flops from his alter-ego to his genuine self, where he talks about his issues with self-esteem.
This is quite evident at the midway point of the record, where he struggles to talk about being secure in love because of the arguments he has witnessed his parents have and his inability to share himself with others because he finds it extremely difficult to open up and ergo, give his relationships a chance. Unfortunately for Yungblud, his ability to touch on these subjects is being used by other artists elsewhere more creatively despite the audience he has captured. Even though I may have been surprised by the music that he was into, my concentration did fade in and out throughout.
Song recommendations: “Teresa”, “Weird!”, “Superdeadfriends”
Honest Opinions 