While recording their third record, Hamilton’s Young Rival kept throwing around the term “croon psych,” which they described as the sonic personification of “Sinatra dropping acid with Deerhunter.” That genre mashup is a pretty apt descriptor of Interior Light.
Frontman Aron D’Alesio already sang with charming bravado (listening to his vocals, you could imagine him grasping the microphone in one hand and swaying his head from side to side, eyes closed). but now there’s a fuzzy coating covering his vocals and the band’s guitar and drums, too.
What sets Interior Light apart from Young Rival’s previous two albums is its diversity. Produced by Holy Fuck’s Graham Walsh (Metz, Viet Cong, Alvvays), it drifts from lackadaisical and breezy a la Beach Fossils (Living Like You Should) to bouncy 60s pop (That’s Chemistry) to warbly and psychedelic (Carry The Weight).
Young Rival’s bread and butter has always been straight-up indie rock, so it’s refreshing to hear them explore beyond that – even if it at times makes for a disjointed listen.
Top track: Let’s Get Together
Young Rival play the Horseshoe on December 17. Win a pair of tickets here!
