Riding the Rails of Sexy Fun
The Subways Young For Eternity prompts some immediate comparisons to Nirvana-invoking garage group The Vines. The songs utilize a nice variety of styles. 60s folk rock (“Mary”), thrash punk (“Holiday”) and acoustic pop (“No Goodbyes”) are only a few of the genres present on this album similar to either Vines full length. There’s even comparable references to the sun: “I know that you will be the one / who leads me right into the sun” (The Subways) and “I want to get free / I want to get free / ride into the sun” (The Vines). In spite of the similarities one quality helps push this trio past merely derivative results. Whereas main songwriter/singer/guitar player Craig Nicholls of The Vines was a bit of an unpredictable lunatic, singer/guitarist Billy Lunn (né Billy Morgan), drummer Josh Morgan (they’re brothers) and singer/bassist Charlotte Cooper (no relation) of The Subways are spitfire rock and roll energy and sex appeal.
From the clean electric guitar stabs of the rollicking “I Just Want To Hear What You Have Got To Say” to the stoned-out patient haze of “Lines Of Light” the band manages to sound both confident and cool without drifting into pretentious arrogance. Each song somehow finds a memorable foothold in each successive style begging for replay.
The thing that really helps set The Subways apart from countless “The” bands (and “The” Vines) are vocals from both Lunn and Cooper. The sweet female touch on “Oh Yeah,” “City Pavement” and the strongest track “Rock & Roll Queen” brings balance to the album. Danceable, rockin’ and sexy? Spin it a few more times and see if you can resist.
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