Rating: NNN
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Kinda like Death Cab for Crowded House. These guys are touring with Jet, but don’t hold that against them – they’re actually a hundred times more talented and interesting than their Aussie countrymen. An offbeat release for punk-pop haven Epitaph, Skeleton Jar is loaded with lush, sweeping melodies, plaintive vocals and striking arrangements. Surprisingly meaty drums, tasteful sleigh bells and theremin snippets add intrigue to Youth Group’s swoony indie pop power ballads and strummy acoustic anthems. And though the plaintive melodies and introspective lyrics make it easy to understand why Death Cab’s Chris Walla provided a quote for the album cover, Youth Group seem like they could totally take Walla and Ben Gibbard in a fight.
