Source: Album Artwork
Always Lose is the debut album from The Gospel Youth, a south coast pop-rock band that you’re going to be hearing more and more about. They’re thriving right now, having just played Slam Dunk Festival in the UK they’re now preparing to play Warped Tour in the US this summer. Always Lose is a release that you can turn to when things are looking bleak; it charts the highs and lows of everything life throws at you, provides comfort and reassures you that you’re not alone.
Soothing piano parts and emotive vocals introduce opening track ‘I Will Deliver You To The Fireflies’. The strength of Sam Little’s vocal outpour reminds us of something by Panic! At The Disco’s Brendon Urie. ‘Gin & Black Coffee’ follows with catchy upbeat riffs and poignant lyrics, “tell me do you kiss away the nightmares, as they burn in your mind”.
The chorus of ‘Wildfire’ hits hard, confessing “I am anxious, I am scared, I am anything but well prepared”. ‘Moods Like English Weather’ is about feeling trapped within yourself. Lyrically, The Gospel Youth are really good at vocalising the things that we all feel. English weather has a tendency to be bad and unpredictable; this track is about not knowing what life is going to throw at you next or how long it’s going to last. The Gospel Youth are here to remind us that no matter how many clouds gather, eventually they’ll all pass.
Despondency is communicated through the lyrics of ‘Tired Eyes & Heavy Hearts’. Morose melodic riffs linger like feelings of uncertainty and melancholy. It’s downbeat and conveys the feeling of things always going wrong, “I was lost, so lost without a reason, I was lost, so lost without a cause”. Sonically, it reminds us of songs by bands like Mallory Knox and Deaf Havana. The Gospel Youth are reflecting back on their vulnerability from a place of hope and improvement which is incredibly reassuring to hear.
Always Lose is due out on the 14th July via Rise Records/Velocity and you should give it a spin. It’s heartfelt emotive rock that does its best to instil hope and remind us that we’re only human. Always Lose will be the soundtrack that guides you through emotional ups and downs and means something important.
