They always say, “Life comes when you least expect it.” Well, I don’t know who “they” are and I am a bit unsure as to what “life” exactly is, but I do know that Young Statues came about as a surprise, and it worked. It took a spontaneous trip to Athens, Georgia for these New Jersey/Philly boys to find the type of music they could produce. The band’s name is certainly peculiar, but the more you listen to them you can understand the oddity; their music exudes a youthful energy with a strong sense of aged wisdom, an interesting pairing for the up and coming band.

This band is not your typical hometown guys attempting to take over the scene. They are better in that they offer an alternative to the typical sounds crossing the airwaves; in a sense, they epitomize the idea of “alternative,” comparatively to rock music. Each song on this self-titled debut album flows and it does so without fancy electronics or mixed vocals, but accomplishes a unique indie/rock sound with ease.

It is this ease that is found in their music, something that might be considered breezy. In “Half Light,” lead singer Carmen Cirignano calmly sings to his listeners in a soothing, steady voice as his fellow band-mates strum the acoustics behind him. The same goes for “Meet Me at the Hudson,” with the intricate use of cymbal and light vocals. But don’t let their mellowness fool you — tracks like “Athens” and “Pretty Girl Make Raves” giving the album a bit of a pick up due to more percussions and a rapid tempo.

Young Statues will make a nice addition to anyone’s “Chill” playlist for that long roadtrip home, or that lazy afternoon after a busy weekend. 

About The Author

Avatar photo

Erica Matlin is a New York-based Badger who contributed from 2011 until 2014 and currently travels, writes, and works in artistic/commercial production for TV and film. She used Jonk Music to soundtrack her life and hopes to one day be on stage with Haim—not to perform or anything, just to stand there and hang out.