Young Unknowns #5 - Endless Landscape

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Despite the different names I get called via my inbox, this blog is just me and my free-time is not as numerous as I'd like to be (especially during a World Cup summer) so here I am catching up with another post I managed to miss upon release, New York's Young Unknowns and their second EP Endless Landscapes. Released in May and available now via Bandcamp.

I've previously covered two tracks on the release, the introspective "I Want to Lose" and a heart-stopping version of "Drive", so I'll turn my focus to the title track "Endless Landscape". A smouldering, slow-burning beauty that extends on the stark, spacious electro vibe of the aforementioned tracks, it sees Meredith's pure, hushed vocals floating on top a bed of softly driven melody and the result is nothing other than luscious.

Luscious is a word that could also be used to describe "The Flower", with a gently strummed guitar and twinkling keys the sole accompaniment for a voice that could sooth any burden. A soundtrack for those late melancholy nights is found.

Young Unknowns #4 - I Want To Lose / Young Man

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I've never come across a 'wall cloud' before, if you haven't either it appears to be an extension of a soundcloud stream combined with visual components, a slide show of pictures and in this case poetry. It's a cool idea to add to your overall listening quality and experience that probably aims at keeping you focused for four minutes straight - a task by itself in 2013.

Of course I wouldn't be featuring one here without good reason and that is the new single "I Want To Lose" from Meredith Meyer's Young Unknowns...

The track is as introspective and close as the title suggests with a chorus of "I want to lose everything, except for you, except the truth", its beautiful melody soon fogging over your mind with an irresistible combination of Meredith's luscious, softening vocals and intimate instrumentation with shimmering guitars and subtle electronics perfectly adding to the sweetening ambiance; tender, heart-wrenching and too damn bloody gorgeous. You can grab the single via iTunes.

Young Unknowns haven't quite finished with last years debut EP You Are A Young Unknown (available from their Bandcamp) either with a recently released video to one of its highlights "Young Man". It highlights another side to the band and together they make the ideal showcase, where "I Want to Lose" is all intimate and beguiling "Young Man" is youthful and carefree, smooth and progressive power pop with a driving melody increasing around strong drums and rich, empowering vocals. Unknown is definitely not how this band should remain.

Young Unknowns #3 - Covers

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Young Unknowns got a few of us new music bloggers hot under the collar towards the end of last year with two wonderful tracks shared from their debut EP You Are A Young Unknown. "Far Enough" and "Target Practice" introduced a luscious cocktail of smouldering melody and crisp, driven indie-rock choruses, now before heading to London town in a couple of weeks time (with two gigs currently planned, the first on Feb 5th at Buffalo Bar - details) the four piece have shared a couple of pared-down covers highlighting a softer, minimalistic side to the band.

Their version of the Cars classic "Drive" is completely stripped back of its mid 80's synth beat and pace, transformed into a tender, heart-wrenching ballad with little more than flickering atmospheric beats and Meredith Meyer's gorgeous vocals. Words which could equally be used to described an equally brave choice of cover, Springsteen's "I'm On Fire", where delicate acoustic and cavernous drums lay the tapestry for Meredith's whispered vocals - with the final minute especially beautiful. Two breathtaking, melancholic covers that Young Unknowns have made their own - stream below.

Young Unknowns #2 - Far Enough

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Sticking in Brooklyn and with another band I don't need to write a long, waffling prose about as I featured Young Unknowns a couple of months back and as with Field Mouse, who I've just written about, have since been looking forward to more music from...

That wait is over with the second track to be shared from Young Unknown's debut EP Are You A Young Unknown, "Far Enough" which caused some blog hype towards the end of last week with its mystical melody, alluring backing harmonies and smooth, relaxed rhythms. It runs for almost six minutes but feel half that with Meredith's irresistible vocals melting hearts wrapped around a woozy blend of melodic guitar and ambient sweetness. Heavenly.

Young Unknowns - New Music "Introducing"

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Brooklyn four-piece Young Unknowns have only got one track to their name so far, the rather brilliant "Target Practice" (available to download free via bandcamp) but it's more than enough to have me (yet again) chomping at the bit... Google leads me to learn the band are led by Meredith Meyer who has two solo albums to her name whilst a quick youtube search uncovers a breathtakingly beautiful solo track a world apart from the bands introduction...

"Target Practice" is the lead track to Young Unknowns forthcoming debut EP You Are a Young Unknown, with an as yet unannounced release date sometime in the Autumn (I'm old fashioned English in so fact that I cannot grasp the use of the word 'fall' to describe a season, that's a season of the year not a television series! ;)) but through its driving beat, fuzzed-up riffs and crisp melody there's an undeniably polished track which carries not only a radio friendly sound but one that's catchy and irresistible. Here's hoping the EP follow suit.