Manchester/Todmorden quartet Friends of Our Youth have been at it since 2020. On the new tune Velvet Hand they channel the sound of yesteryear with a combination of new wave style sounds and Television-esque instrumentation. There are flecks of more modern influences here too – bands like The Strokes, Hot Hot Heat and Surfer Blood must’ve had an influence.
By the band’s own admission, the song is deliberately structured to bring the past into sharp focus for the listener. But as the song progresses, it becomes clear that they are building and expanding on their own sound, with the melodic melancholia of their 2022 album That Was Then firmly in their rearview mirror. They are certainly opening themselves – and indeed their audience – up to previously unexplored sonic vistas.
Friends Of Our Youth vocalist and guitarist, David Boon, describes the song as “a lullaby of the begrudging cynic”, describing “a weather-worn statue that’s lost its features” as the lyrics hint at the relief of finding a kindred spirit as the world crumbles around us.
Velvet Hand was recorded and produced by Mark Jones (Peter Gabriel, Goldfrapp, Black Grape) of MJM Recording and is the second track to be released from their forthcoming album.
Written by Kinda Grizzly
