Young Fathers – Central Park SummerStage – July 25th – They were sweating from the heat and seemed disappointed in the size of the audience, and daylight doesn’t appear to three piece rap and alt’s natural habitat: and they were still magnificent. That version of “Shame”? That was worth it.
It wasn’t a bad week, not great but some good stuff there, however, oddly, there weren’t many standout songsl a lot of fair stuff very little great stuff. “Shame” made an appreance because it killed live, but the heart of the week for new tracks was 50 Cents. Alice Glass and the Yogi and Skrilelx song. Otherwise, OK but yeah, most of em wouldn’t have made it on a great week.
Young Fathers know from money problems, “G” Hastings was raised in the Drylaw housing estate (part of paradise postponed), and the sound is both very dark and very heavy: to really mix metaphors, it isn’t like Marijuana, it is like a hammer in a knife fight.
Old Rock N Roll – Young Fathers – The Scottish Nigerian trio suggest here something that is just about self-evident, “I’m tired of playing the good black, I’m trying to have to hold back”. Which makes sense but not as much as Young Fathers equating racism with money and power. Which is where the real stuff is.
In which the songs catch up with the year, 63 songs, three from Brian Wilson alone, on an album that isn’t as good as its best moments and whose best moments are among the best of the year. And Young Fathers, who are as good as their best moments and who I still expect to crack the US in some form or the other.
Some good ones here. Obviously a new Brian Wilson is always good news even if I have my doubts and Waxahatchee is a talented woman, the Mountain Goats single off this album was awesome and Drug Cabin are first rate but no…. I am going to see Young Fathers. on Friday and I can’t wait and the two new songs I’ve heard off their new album are excellent and they are the best new band of the year. A huge band.
Rain Or Shine – Young fathers – Scotland’s finest sing an ode to absence set in place by an insistent organ and with the three leaders sounding both distracted and cool. The rap isn’t great but everything else sure is – A-
The more I hear from these Mercury Prize winning, Scottish via Africa, stunningly rich music, this song may be their best, the happier I am I picked up a ticket to catch em at MHOW next year. A haunting, very lovely electronic based but isn’t that hook just a piano note, us one of the best sounds you’ll hear this year – A
They came together in 2008 and called themselves a psychedelic hip hop band, putting you in mind of that cali hip hop movement, but all the jagged beats and ragged rhythms, dark backing tracks and slowed down layers of sound are more like Tricky fronting FKA twigs
