Concrete Knives - You Can’t Blame The Youth

With 2011 over and done with and a new year on the horizon, it is time for a change. To that enters French indie pop band Concrete Knives and their ‘You Can’t Blame The Youth’ EP, which is laced with a mixture of chanted vocals, racing guitars and textured tracks; a definite treat for your ears. The distinctive collection provides you with a solid, well rounded outer layer of pop and a surprise centre of layered beats and tasty rhythmical sections. It is an EP for every taste bud.

Kicking the release off in style is ‘Youth Compass’. Driving percussion is met with a candy-like concoction of chanted voices and well composed music that gives you the sugary kick you require. It’s easy to see a mass crowd jumping wildly to this one. Following the impressive ‘Youth Compass’ is ‘Greyhound Racing’, a track sprinkled with a mix of long indie guitar strokes and a layer of bouncy drums provide a perfect dancing track that fires away only to then be played out by a rather misplaced organ.

‘Brand New Start’ and ‘Happy Mondays’ takes the EP in a different direction, becoming less urgent and more paced. Sweet chants slip into pop bliss that conjures up a fairground image, full of flashing lights and laughter. These two are defiantly easier to listen to than the other songs, whilst still sticking to the roots of the chanted vocals giving a sense of unity. The release ends on the stimulating track that is ‘Time For Disco’, another powerful song, crackling like popping candy in every bend and dip. A marching high hat and forceful guitar stokes gives the EP another fine dancing track and rounds it off to a fizzy ending.

Concrete Knives have created the perfect balance of indie pop. Whilst ‘You Can’t Blame The Youth’ doesn’t quite hit the dizzying heights that it has the potential to, it’s a charming listen that would no doubt be even better live.