John

To be fair, Young America has potential – great, dark and gothic potential - but what stands between them and the achievement of their shadowy goals is a guitar. The guitar sound on this eponymous album does not live up to the promise inherent in the layered, syncopated ambience created by the bass and drums, supported with keys, accordion, cello and a litany of other instruments. The tidal wave of sonic energy built up within the tracks is never released, invariably met with either some very distorted, very repetitive guitar strumming or, worse, some very raw, borderline noodling.