You Me At Six 'Cavalier Youth' Album Review

British rock band You Me At Six first formed in their hometown of Surrey back in 2004. For four years, the band toured in small venues around the UK before finally hitting the big time and releasing their debut album 'Take Off Your Colours' in 2008 after being signed to Slam Dunk Records. From then on, the band have only gone from strength to strength and have accumulated an extremely loyal fan base in the process. Now, after winning Best Event at last years Kerrang! awards for their 'Final Night Of Sin' show at Wembley Arena (which celebrated the success their third studio album 'Sinners Never Sleep,) the band are back with the highly anticipated release of their new album 'Cavalier Youth.'

At first listen, Cavalier Youth is everything that you would expect from a You Me At Six album. However, the overall sound of the album is a lot more mature than the likes of 'Hold Me Down' and 'Sinners Never Sleep.' The album is filled with tracks that are bound to be sure fire hits including the ever-so-catchy 'Cold Night' and 'Carpe Diem,' which feature infectious choruses and middle eights that would make any fan chant along at the top of their lungs. Two of the heavier tracks on the album, 'Room To Breathe' and 'Love Me Like You Used To,' really showcase lead singer Josh Franceschi's infamous gravelly vocals which have dramatically improved over the course of the bands career. 

Another stand out record on the album is 'Be Who You Are,' which highlights the bands softer side. This particular song, albeit rather brief, has an incredibly romantic feel to it which is a refreshing change from an otherwise hard-hitting rock album. The bands current single 'Fresh Start Fever,' showcases drummer Dan Flint's talent tremendously as the strong beat definitely carries the song from start to finish. This track is a firm favourite amongst fans and has also made BBC Radio 1's 'A List,' which is, without a doubt, extremely well deserved. 



The conclusive track on the album, 'Wild Ones,' starts of very simplistic and focuses purely on Josh's vocals. This song is very comparable to the final songs on Hold Me Down and Sinners Never Sleep, 'Fireworks' and 'When We Were Younger,' which both start off slowly and gradually become faster paced as the track progresses. With one final crescendo, the bands powerful guitar riffs and melodies build the listener up once again to an almighty finish.

The full track listing for the album is as follows:

1. Too Young To Feel This Old
2. Lived A Lie
3. Fresh Start Fever
4. Forgive And Forget
5. Room To Breathe
6. Win Some, Lose Some
7. Cold Night
8. Hope For The Best
9. Love Me Like You Used To
10. Be Who You Are
11. Carpe Diem
12. Wild Ones

Overall, 'Cavalier Youth' is cohesively a brilliant album with twelve engaging and utterly unique tracks. It is clear to see that the Surrey quintet have matured and come on leaps and bounds in recent months. With plenty of tour dates both in the UK and Europe already lined up, 2014 is set to be a great year for one of Britain's best rock bands. You Me At Six are undoubtedly back with a bang!