“Anyone know who invented love? They have a hell of a lot to answer for!” Album Review: The Young Playthings - Who Invented Love?

From Sound Of The Suburbs, by Abramson on 29 April 2007

The Young Playthings are a UK band based in Oxford and London that have recently been making friends for themselves on the live circuit after opening for The Pipettes the length and breadth of the land. After having released three singles since 2005, the time for them to release their inevitable debut album has arrived, an event scheduled for May, 15 by the UK indie label/co operative Smalltown America.

A quick glance at 'Who Invented Love's?' art work should set the tone, a cartoon style design that owes more to Hanna Barbera, the creator of The Flintstones and Scooby Doo amongst others, than it does to indie pop, still we all have our roots and influences don't we? The opening four songs do not disappoint as the accent is firmly on fun with that good old vibe of feel good running through the tunes.

I guess it wouldn't be too inaccurate to describe them here as falling somewhere between Green Day and The Frank & Walters with a pleasing nerdy edge thrown. I was particularly taken with 'So Good, So Bad, So Good' that manages to stir up memories of Buddy Holly, Doo Wop, Del Shannon and NYC girl groups, in other words a song with bags of attitude and feeling.

After these four songs the album looses the plot a little and fails to work as a whole as there is too much variety involved before the band has managed to stamp their trade mark, imagine that The Clash had delivered London Calling as their first album I doubt that it would have been as well received as it was.

Though taken as individual songs there are plenty of gems to be discovered a fine example would be 'Last Night In Los Angeles', subtle shuffling drums, fluid guitar lines, refined harmonies (one of the bands definite strong points) and an all important youthful enthusiasm that at times leads to the impression that the song is being played just a little to fast!

In conclusion a solid debut, but no classic leaving that all important space for improvement, don't forget it's easier to climb than to fall! With it's enthusiasm, soaring harmonies and well crafted tunes It should find friends with lovers of intelligent indie pop that want a good time, and I rather doubt that they'll have much problem in shifting the 800 copies.

MP3: Bonus track 'Yr So Fit (For Me)' a non album track and single release from 2006 illustrating a more punkish side to these three boys.

Anyone know who invented love? They have a hell of a lot to answer for!