“So what happens when we’re dead and gone?”
Two years on from debut album Letters to Our Former Selves, Youth Fountain are back, this time as a solo project. Their debut firmly cemented Youth Fountain as one of the go-to bands for pop-punk inclined listeners, with personal song writing held within the framework of the genre. A self-professed freedom of “to not have other cooks in the kitchen” from main man Zanon suggests that Keepsakes & Reminders may have some twists and turns away from their debut album.
“I’m left with just myself, there’s any never way out”, Zanon laments the brief opening track “My Mental Health“, Immediately showing that he will once again be wearing his heart on his sleeve on Keepsakes & Reminders. The opening handful of tracks such as “Century” and “Peace Offering” do a solid job of setting the album in its flow. There are catchy riffs and grooves to back the confessional lyricism, and layered vocals are used in a well-timed manner to provide emotional impact. At times using this with harsh and cleans over the top of each other, the delivery of both faultless. The previously mentioned “Peace Offering” presents a cute hook which pleasantly dances on the ear.
The pacing and tempo of each track gives some variation to the album, with “Dark Grey” being one of the slower tracks on the album. A track reflecting on a bygone relationship and moving on, and giving plenty of romantic clichés. Post-hardcore elements are brought in to shake up Keepsakes & Reminders on “Aimless” – a much needed shift and variation as the album begins to become stagnant, especially on its predecessor “Vertigo“.
“Strapped in for the long haul, I best learn how to enjoy the downfall” shouts Zanon on “Nosedive“, a track that is too on the nose and cliché of the genre for its own good. The title is fitting given the enjoyment of Keepsakes & Reminders begins to fade here, as the record’s sound becomes a tad repetitive. Follow up tracks “Mishap” and “Jinxed” seemingly pass by despite some decent lyricism on the latter of the two tracks.
The second half of Keepsakes & Reminders highlights the album’s wider issue, as it fails to deviate from the well-trodden path of the bygone pop punk sound of the last decade. “Scavenger” is one of the better songs, however there is a certain exhaustion from rehashed 2014 pop punk by the time the album reaches the final stretch here. The closer “Keepsake” has some life given to it by Zanon’s decent harsh vocals, but it feels too little too late when it all somewhat abruptly ends.
There is nothing explicitly bad about Keepsakes & Reminders, and to create an album as a solo project is commendable in its own right, and the honest lyricism and somewhat catchy writing give something for listeners to latch on to and enjoy. The confines of pop punk or any attempt to innovate on the genre are where it all harshly falls flat, though. This well put together album feels about 10 years late to a genre that is arguably on its last legs. Zanon evidently has talent, and whatever direction he decides to take Youth Fountain could present itself as a talisman to revive pop punk, but Keepsakes & Reminders is not that talisman.
Keepsakes & Reminders will be available on November 5th via Pure Noise Records, pre-orders can be found here.
5/10