YOUNG EMPIRES celebrate the release of Wake All My Youth Friday (February 3) at the Horseshoe. See listing. Rating: NNN
When Matthew Vlahovich put his one-man-band synth-pop project Golden Girls on hiatus back in early 2010 to focus on electro-rock trio Young Empires, he suddenly found himself heading out on the road opening up for acts like Chromeo, Foster the People and Vampire Weekend and enjoying lots of blog buzz. Maybe that’s why it’s taken so long for the Toronto band to drop their highly anticipated debut EP.
Better late than never, but you can’t help wondering if this indie-friendly dance pop would have got more traction had it hit shelves a few years ago. Nevertheless, the hooks are rock-solid and the beats pleasingly pumping. What really makes this stand out from Vlahovich’s Golden Girls output is the absence of anything that could be mistaken for ironic kitsch. Wake All My Youth is unashamedly earnest, in a way that makes you wish you were 16 instead of making you cringe with embarrassment.
Top track: Rain Of Gold
