Young Alive are a five-piece from Boston that you not only need to add to your music library, but who you desperately need to keep an eye on….because it’s only a matter of time before they blow up. We filled you guys in on Young Alive when we had a chat with them about their roots and the making of their new EP, American Gentlemen. Their EP is one we definitely think you need to check out, and even though they are new to the scene, we think their sound is going to make a big impact in 2013.

The first track on the American Gentlemen EP is “Kingdom Come,” which starts the mood on an angsty note, with a lot of emotion behind it. Crashing cymbals & electric guitar introduce the track, which fade into a vocal build-up to the chorus that is powerful & in your face. The EP then flows into the title track, which has a punchier, punk sound to it, and features a lot of bass ripping from Colin Dinnie. Out of the two faster-paced tracks on the EP, I think this one works best for Young Alive stylistically. Next is “Love Means Letting Go,” which features beautiful harmonies and acoustic guitar. The track starts out with vibrant sound effects of water, and then goes into the vocals & instruments which adds a taste of something a little different for this EP. Closing out the EP is the track “The Weight Of A Hummingbird,” which has more acoustics, and the vocals and lyrics in this song are as haunting as ever. Vocalists Robert Parks and Brian Staples do a fantastic job of complimenting each other in this track and showing what vocal range they have. This track is my overall favorite because it shows that Young Alive are just as capable playing stripped down songs as they are with their louder, in your face tracks.

Young Alive’s American Gentlemen EP is well-balanced with two faster paced tracks, and two that feature acoustics and are stripped down. The band is very good at writing deep and haunting lyrics that paint images for the listener, and we see a bright future for these guys. If you want to pick up the EP for yourself, make sure you head to their Bandcamp. They’ve already begun writing for a new release, so stay tuned for more from these guys in the near future.