Young Fathers, "White Men Are Black Men Too"

"White Men Are Black Men Too" is an urgent album title that is sure to grab your attention, and the music on Young Fathers' second LP absolutely matches the urgency portrayed by the title. Sonically, I would describe this album as noisey, lo-fi,  experimental pop music. Those who have been following the Mercury-prize winning Scottish trio will know that those adjectives show that Young Fathers are not exactly treading any new ground on this album, but that's alright. It still sounds different from their debut full-length record, "Dead". While "Dead" was critically acclaimed and contained a few great tracks, it was more polished than "White Men", and Young Fathers is a band whose music truly benefits from lower-quality recordings, and suffers from studio gloss in my opinion. Their often sarcastic personalities biting lyrics complement the fuzzy, obscure beats. Another major difference between "Dead" and this new record is that it is more melodic. While some songs, such as "Old Rock n Roll", contain rap verses, the focus is mostly on the trio's soulful singing and excellent harmonies. And while "Dead" dealt primarily with depression and loneliness from a lyrical standpoint, this album tackles social issues, including, but not limited to, race. One track that discusses race is "Sirens", which is a comment on police brutality. While this is one of the most catchy songs that Young Fathers has written to date, it also is very serious, literal, and moving. There are also a few upbeat songs on the album as well. This includes the single "Shame", as well as "Nest". The latter was allegedly written when the candy company Nestle asked Young Fathers to write them a jingle. According to an interview with NME, Young Fathers instead wrote a satirical song that draws attention to the link between Nestle's baby milk  powder and the spread of disease among its consumers in the developing world. Both lyrically and musically, "White Men Are Black Men Too" is a very interesting and unique music. Like most great music, it might not make sense at first listen. But once you give it some time, the odd beats, experimental structures, and creative lyrics all compliment each other. These qualities, together with the memorable melodies, all work together to create yet another album-of-they-year contender for 2015.

 

Click here to listen to "Shame"

Click here to read Young Fathers' interview with NME