Young Love Albums (2)
What The Critics Say
If Too Young to Fight It found Dan Keyes burning up the dancefloor, its successor relocates him to the rock club, where emo-pop anthems emanate from the stereo and new wave revivalism reigns supreme. Keyes has explored those genres before, both with Recover's unapologetically emotive work and Young Love's club-ready debut, but One of Us is the first to feature a synthesis of the two. The frontman dives headfirst into the mix, embracing everything from fat, gauzy synthesizers to R&B basslines, robotic samples, handclaps, and assorted '80s-era flourishes. This is party music, and Keyes makes no attempt to inflate it with lyrical prowess or songwriting depth, preferring instead to shine a spotlight on the glossy, spruced-up surface. "I got my black boots on, gonna show up late," he declares in "Black Boots," "but that's ok because we won't leave 'til dawn." It's a simple sentiment that reflects the world One of Us caters to: the world of late-night Manhattan bars and dancefloor affairs, a world in which footwear symbolizes the extent to which one is ready to party. Throughout it all, the emphasis remains on rock, with even the most danceable songs taking root in electric guitars and live percussion. "Black Boots" even shoots for stadium-sized grandeur, its singalong chorus aimed at the cheap seats, before dissolving into an Auto-tuned outro. The songs suffer whenever Keyes dials back the sonic spectacle, with tracks like "Down on Me" owing more to post-grunge balladry than contemporary dance-rock. Despite the album's surface-oriented appeal, however, the bulk of One of Us remains stronger than Young Love's previous release, as it wisely targets the feet instead of the head. ~ Andrew Leahey, All Music Guide
'Too Young to Fight It'
Release Date 1/30/2007
Tracks 11
Label Island
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Despite all the buzz building around Recover circa 2004, frontman Dan Keyes wasn't happy and wanted to do something new. Thus, as Recover went on an indefinite hiatus, Keyes relocated to New York City and began Young Love. For this new project, he's traded in all the post-hardcore aggression of his former rock outfit for shiny shoes and a VIP pass to the hottest underground nightclubs in town. So basically, Young Love has joined the countless acts that think glossing up a song to dancing mode with shiny synths or pulsing beats automatically means that people will want to get down and dirty. Unfortunately, though, Young Love is about as faceless as any of these groups come; that VIP pass turned out to be a fake and all those bumpin' parties had already thinned out by the time Keyes' crew finally got past the bouncer. Most everything on Too Young to Fight It is simply generic, somewhat danceable indie rock that feels forced half the time and just mediocre the other half. Tracks like "Discotech" and "Too Young to Fight It" -- is that a Shakira beat in the latter? -- want really bad to be those sexy and defiant songs of intoxicated grooves and random late-night adventure. But there's no edge, no real danger, and really, finishing your drink at the bar is just as appealing as actually getting out on the dancefloor. Elsewhere, other songs are content to be just light-footed numbers with subtle programming that only occasionally go anywhere; "Find a New Way" is practically a rewrite of Brandtson's "Nobody Dances Anymore" and "Tell Me" sounds completely out of place with its smooth R&B vibe. The more rock-oriented moments of cuts like "Take It or Leave It" and "Close Your Eyes" show where Keyes' true strength lies -- and that's not in the club scene. Once this album is forgotten after a few spins, let's hope his attention turns back, if not to Recover, then to something new altogether. ~ Corey Apar, All Music Guide
