One of my favorite bands, You Me At Six, released their fifth studio album today (January 6) called "Night People." I've been a fan of You Me At Six since their second album "Hold Me Down" was out in 2010 so I've been able to watch them grow as a band throughout the years. You Me At Six are typically described as either rock or pop punk. They've gotten huge in the UK over the years since they're British, playing a sold-out show at London's Wembley Arena in 2012. While in the U.S., I still get to see them play small rock clubs. They played Wembley when their third album and arguably their best album "Sinners Never Sleep" was out. Their fourth album "Cavalier Youth," released in 2014 was good but didn't receive as much attention as "Sinners Never Sleep" as there were less hard-hitting rock songs YMAS became known for and the lyrics were a bit dull and repetitive. Now YMAS are back and better than ever with "Night People".
The album starts with the title track "Night People" which was released a few months ago as a promotional single with the announcement of the album. It's a perfect rock anthem with a fun intro, echoey vocals in the verses, and a huge chorus perfect for playing huge arenas. The chorus is a bit repetitive but that's just what a song of this caliber needs. Singer Josh Franceschi belts out the main line "we are night people roaming these streets," and you're guaranteed to want to sing along.
The next track is "Plus One." My only complaint about this song is that it's way too short at a mere 2 minutes and 35 seconds. It's another hard-hitting rock song to get you in the mood for the album. Another killer guitar riff in the intro. The perfect combination of soft verses and loud choruses. This definitely sounds like a perfect song to be played live and I could imagine a crowd going crazy over this song.
Next up is "Heavy Soul" which is a little less rock but still a fun song. It's not a "softer" song as it still has guitars and such but it's not as hard as "Night People" or "Plus One." The fun and chill vibes of the chorus sounds like something you'd play on a summer road trip. It's a repetitive enough chorus to sing along to easily but the lyrics in the versus still have some substance. The music reminds me of a slightly more upbeat version of their song "Cold Night" off of their album "Cavalier Youth." It's not my favorite as I prefer the harder rock songs on the album but it's still a solid song.
Next is "Take on the World" which is definitely the slow song on the album. With barely any background music except for a few soft chords and Josh's very soft voice, this creates a very different vibe from the previous songs. The song is basically about being there for someone if they just tell you what's going on with the lyrics "just say the word, we'll take on the world, just say you're hurt, we'll face the worst." It's such a sweet song and it's executed perfectly. After the second chorus and into the bridge, the song gets a little louder for emphasis. I can imagine this song being very emotional if YMAS play it live.
Track five is "Brand New" which seems to be a fan favorite so far. It has some of the soft vibes of "Heavy Soul" with very quiet verses and a louder pre-chorus and chorus. I really love the lyrics in the chorus that go "are you waiting on someone who can make you feel a little more like you? Are you waiting on someone to make you feel brand new?" Again, this song like many of the others, is definitely good for singing along.
Next is "Swear" which was also released before the album was out but I hadn't listened to it much. It is definitely one of my favorites. It has a really fun intro with a cool bass line and has another hard-hitting chorus. The guitar riff at the end of the chorus when Josh sings "who really wants to hear the sound that comes out of your mouth" is probably one of my favorite guitar parts on the whole album. This is another song I think would be super fun to hear live and I can imagine the audience jumping and singing along.
Track seven is "Make Your Move," another one of my favorites. It has similar echoey verses like "Night People." There's lots of whoas and ohs in the chorus that make it easy to sing along to. The lyrics are pretty simple, but it's more of the music that draws me into this song. I just love the eerie vibes of the verses and bridge, and then it turns into another one of those classic YMAS choruses.
Track eight is "Can't Hold Back" which has another fantastic guitar riff in the intro. Another chorus with repetitive lyrics but it's still really fun and the lyrics in the verses make up for the chorus. Some of my favorite lyrics are "you and I, we will not work cause when my back is turned you find a way to make things worse. I call for calm but the storm comes first." The bridge features the repeated lyrics "nobody wants to be alone" that gradually get louder, similar with what they've done in older songs. It's an effective way to emphasize a certain lyric but it can get old sometimes (YMAS have countless songs that do this and my friends and I joke about it sometimes).
Track nine is "Spell It Out" which was the most surprising song to me on the album. It has a very eerie and creepy vibe I've never heard from YMAS before. The lyrics are very powerful ("I'm not a savior, but I ain't no traitor") despite the quiet feel of the song. This song also showcases Josh's voice without being overpowered by guitars. After the second chorus and into the bridge, the guitars kick in and it starts to feel like another classic YMAS song like "Night People." I think that's what I love about this song how it can change tone so effortlessly.
Last but not least is "Give." This song was also released early but I only listened to it a few times. It's a quieter song, similar to "Heavy Soul." It's a serious song but the chorus has a slightly lighter vibe in the music even though the lyrics are "I've been wasting all this time trying to keep you off my mind. I've been wasting all these nights trying to keep you off my mind." This song is a perfect closer to the album. It's not too soft but it's not a huge song like "Night People." It takes all the different aspects of the album; soft verses, hard choruses, amazing guitar riffs, and mixes them all together.
Overall this is an incredible album from an incredible band. I'd give "Night People" an 8/10. My main complaint is that I wish it was more than ten songs because I really like this direction that YMAS is going in and I want to hear more. Besides that, this album is an incredible comeback, after their previous album that didn't do so well.