Customer Reviews

Skeleton Jar

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm so glad other people are picking up on this wonderful 2nd album by Youth Group - it has been documented that the band have had plenty of internal problems and changes the good news is that this does not in anyway detract or impede their music.

Perhaps this album will sit better with Americans than Brits - simply because our market is filled with vapid 'tunes' like Crazy Frog and you Americans still have some taste in music. Youth Group takes me back to a time in the early-to-mid 1990's where there was some wonderful music made both sides of the Atlantic.

It has also been suggested that Youth Group sound like the wonderful late and lamented British band James mainly due to the singer Toby Martin's vocals and melancholic lyrics - although there are a couple of songs here that would fit on a James album - perhaps Skeleton Jar and Someone Else's Dream would?

I can also hear The Charlatans in there on 'The Franksten Line' and See-Saw both fairly epic sounding songs especially the latter. Fans of Coldplay and Death Cabs for Cutie should check this album out - but any fans of folk/indie/rock would like this.

Other reviews criticse the generalistic sound this album has - although I would argue that this means the album has a more 'complete' feel. I think the magic wears off slightly after See-Saw but it is marginal.

My favourite songs are Shadowlands - the best one word chorus sing James 'Crash' or 'Come Home' with some chimy guitars slightly reminiscent of U2 - the music is more sparse however and the arrangement is lovely and less dense than some of U2's latest works. I also have to say that 'Lilian lies' has a quality of that missed New Zealand band Crowded House - so it isnt hard to see how many people would like this record.

It flirts from folk to indie to rock almost seamlessly without ever being too hard or abrasive or too soft - the pitch is about right. i think Toby Martin is probably the best vocalist I've heard since Tim Booth of James dealing with high and low notes equally well. Perhaps they lack the soaring quality of James songs and a little less commercial than say She's A Star or Laid.

My advice is go and buy this brilliant record and spread the word and let's hope they can sort out any line-up problems they are currently experiencing.

The Australian indie rock band Youth Group definitely made a great album with this year's "Skeleton Jar". Though it's not a classic by any means, as a whole it's consistent and even has a couple (lesser) hitworthy tracks (most notably "Shadowland" and "Someone Else's Dream"). The singer verges on being unlikable, but he pulls himself back into the realm of mass appeal. You would never guess that these guys are Australian, because the singer especially sounds American. The album is distinctly indie rock with not too much creativity instrumention-wise, but you won't care about that in the end. Though there are songs that are clearly better than others, "Skeleton Jar" thankfully has no filler. It even manages to be emotional and atmospheric on occasion (I'm not sure how to explain this well, though). Every track here is good. I didn't like it all on the first listen, but it grew on me (so be warned!). It might not be for everyone, but indie rock fans will probably like it a lot! Highly recommended!

Highlights include:
the entire album!

havent you heard? these guys are like, totally hot right now!!!!omg they had a song on the o.c.!!!!! just kidding.

but seriously despite the fact that they are being idolized by the irritating pseudo indie faction, these guys write some really good songs. the singer has a voice that recalls robert smith from the cure and the songs are all well constructed and cohesive. I especially like the song "shadowland" and the pixies style riff and background shouting on the song "last quarter". some of the songs seem to be about alot of the same things though. there are two songs that seem to be about women with low self-esteem riding on buses. also the singers voice is so mellow and sensitive sounding that when he swears on "why dont the buildings cry" instead of letting you feel his rage it just sounds kind of funny(another low point is that "why dont the buildings cry" is a really stupid name for a song). but overall this is a strong release from a promising new band.

I came across this disc after I got their new one...casino twilight dogs...this is as good as their second or is it third disc...there is an older disc available as an import on amazon...I plan on buying it in a week or so...all the songs on this disc are good to great...if you like good rock with a beat and melody pick up this one...I forgot to mention they are from australia. get the others too...bob revai

Youth Group's debut disk has some outstanding tracks and some filler. Shadowland, See-Saw, and the title track are terrific. Hopefully this is not the last we hear from this band.

I bought this on a whim from my local independent music store as I sometimes do when I'm feeling particularly daring, knowing nothing about them at all. I got lucky once again. Youth Group have a strong sense of songwriting and make endearing and charming music. This is their debut in the U.S., but it's not their first record, as the reviewer below mentioned. Their first record was released only in Australia in 2001. 'Skeleton Jar' exploits every beat and hook and places everything in such order that it sounds like it took four years to make. Oh wait, I guess it did. Indie fans should love this. I give it 4 1/2 stars.

After hearing "Shadowland" on Punk-O-Rama 10, I've decided to buy this CD. Wow, it's one of the few albums I've loved after the first listen. One of the things I love the most about this album is that you can listen to it all the way through without getting bored, unlike most indie rock. As other reviwers said, this album isn't perfect. The first 6 songs are amazing but it settles down a bit after, until the beautiful last track, "Piece of Wood". But even the "worst" songs have their charm, mainly due to Toby Martin's plaintive but smooth vocals.

Shadowland: 9.5/10. A great opener, probably the second best song on the album. The instruments all blend in together perfectly and put you in the beautiful, melacholic mood of the album.

Skeleton Jar: 8/10. At first, I didn't really like this song. But it has grown on me and now I love it. The song is a nice crescendo and it gets really interesting at 2:15.

Lillian Lies: 8.5/10. Catchy chorus, great lyrics. Overall really good.

The Frankston Line: 9/10. One of the best songs on the album. Nice bass line, great bridge.

Baby Body: 10/10. Beautiful guitar in the first part, you think it's gonna be another nice and smooth song but the chorus kicks in, and you're now listening to the most rockin' and best song on the album. It reminds me of Coldplay for some reason.

See-Saw: 9.5/10. The longest song on the album but you don't even realize it. Again, great lyrics and hooks everywhere. The chorus leads into a beautiful instrumental part that lasts from 3:50 till the end of the song. The song's almost 7 minutes long but by the end you're asking for more.

Drowned: 8/10. One of the weakest songs on the album but still great.

Last Quarter: 7/10. Probably the worst song on the album, kinda repetitive but nice vocals so it's still an enjoyable listen.

Someone Else's Dreams: 7.5/10. Another more rockin' song. Nice guitars.

Why Don't the Buildings Cry?: 7/10. A little repetitive and boring but again, listenable.

Piece of Wood: 9.5. Amazing lyrics, absolutely beautiful guitars. Toby Martin's voice give me shivers in that song. It will make you want to listen to the whole album over again.

Overall, I give it a 9/10. Maybe not THE best album of 05 but definitely the best indie pop album of the year.

WE'RE HALF WAY THROUGH 2005, AND I'VE ONLY LISTENED TO A FEW GOOD RECORDS UNTIL NOW. YOUTH GROUP'S "SKELETON JAR" IS AMAZING. WHAT A DEBUT!!!!!! SHADOWLAND STARTS THE ALBUM IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION-->VERY CATCHY GUITAR PLAYING. THE SINGER'S VOICE HAS A GENUINE SOUND THAT MAKES YOU WANT MORE. FAVORITES TRACKS INCLUDE SKELETON JAR, THE FRANKSTON LINE, BABY BODY, SEE SAW, WHY DON'T THE BUILDINGS CRY. GET THE ALBUM!! IT SHOULD DEFENITELY BE ONE OF THE TOP ALBUMS OF THE YEAR

Skeleton Jar is not, in fact, Youth Group's debut album. That particular honor belongs to urban&eastern, although it was not released outside of Australia.

Aside from a few factual errors, the two current reviews are pretty accurate; it is a good album, probably one of the best I've heard so far this year. It is not without its flaws: it does, at times, suffer from a too-regular structure. However, that does not detract from the quality of the musicianship present, and has a cohesiveness of musical vision that urban&eastern lacked.

Out of epitaph's latest releases, it is probably the strongest, and demonstrates actual progress and growth from the musicians. Out of the lastest releases in the United States, it is the best I've heard. The weakest songs still have an eerie attractiveness about them. The overall tone is not dark, but melancholy, and Youth Group makes some of the best melancholy music I have ever heard, and does it without sacrificing the art of their music.

One of the few albums I have heard this year that I recommend without reservation.

I am mainly writing this review because all of these other people are giving it 5 stars. It's not like it's not a decent album, but by no means is it 5 stars. I enjoy listening to talented musicians, not that these guys aren't, but it is very catchy indie pop.

They are grabbing onto the coat-tails of this boom in this genre of music and all of these people have over-hyped the album. It might even be worth purchasing, but don't go into it thinking it's the best album of 2005.