For over a decade, You Me At Six have etched their name into household walls, becoming a familiar favourite to many audiences around the world. From the early days of highly regarded albums like ‘Sinners Never Sleep’, the band captured with an inventive presentation of tantalizing riffs and edgy vocal displays, solidifying their place in the heavy and pop-punk scenes. Fast forward to more stellar and recent releases like ‘VI’, You Me At Six have reconstructed the means of their craft whilst still holding on to focal points of their much-adored identity. Claiming their place in the alt-pop world, the band’s discography ceases to abandon any notable genre. Looking into the band’s latest eighth album, ‘Truth Decay’, You Me At Six’s complexities are on full display. A love child of their past and present selves, ‘Truth Decay’ is a celebration of catchy riffs, inspired songwriting, and a band whose identity is not found within any solid sound, but in the connection they make through their music.
‘Truth Decay’ opens with a fiery and passionate welcome in the form of ‘Deep Cuts’. From the opening seconds, YMAS presents a riff that is deep and capturing, immediately hooking you into the thirteen-song journey ahead. Singer Josh Franceschi soon follows, making his first electrifying appearance. His smooth but zingy vocals always manage to hold a dichotomous flair in which his voice is both heartwarming and bewildering. ‘Deep Cuts’ finds its centralization in its catchy chorus, one that flies upon a plain of perfect chaos and backing vocals. This whirlwind of sounds is a worthy foreshadowment into the album's mixed genre scape, but also, a glimpse at the many homages to past creative styles and their undeniable influence on the band's sound today. In perhaps the biggest homage, the track declares a self-aware line of “people tell you to move on”. Whilst they certainly have evolved, YMAS are a band to never forget their roots. Soaring guitars and always focal drums lead the track to its gnarly conclusion and celebrates ‘Deep Cuts’ as a captivating opening track. Are you ready for more?
Before the final release, the band gave a plethora of tastes into the world of ‘Truth Decay’. These singles shaped the album outwardly, but continue to find a defining place in the album when listened to in full. Their position as singles cannot be discounted, however, and held a diverse look at the many emotions and sounds to be found in the piece! One of the most important notions shown was that of YMAS’ vulnerability and storytelling. Both ‘Mixed Emotions’ and ‘heartLESS’ present the band in all their devastating glory and raw emotive state that fosters the deep connections that permeate through their tracks. ‘Mixed Emotions’ is a solemn track that really amplifies the band’s storytelling, spiraling into dire screams and necessity. These feelings are familiar in ‘heartLESS’, a track that conjures a haunting soundscape emphasizing artistry. The track’s highly emotive chorus is a suckerpunch for any listener. Laced with a vulnerability and rawness that is perfectly jarring, this track is true to YMAS’s undeniable connections with audiences and fans alike. Much to my personal approval, the track fosters feelings of past album ‘VI’- a personal favourite from the band!
From heartache to dance break, YMAS continue to show their duality through the track ‘:mydopamine:’. The song provides a soulful funk that launches itself into the album as a fresh, but not unwelcomed, sound. Playing with what would otherwise be a simple beat, the boys in YMAS provide a flair in their instrumentation- throwing intruding drums, unexpected riffs, and layered vocals into the mix that make it so profound in its style. ‘:mydopamine’ is an intriguing song that twists and turns around the many layers of the band, leaving much to be discovered upon every listen and shines a spotlight on the new styles adapted into their sound.
If we are speaking of homages, it is hard to ignore one of the latest singles from the album. ‘God Bless the 90s Kids’ is an anthem for slipping youth but raging delinquency.
Josh explains, “We drew on inspiration from not only our peers in the period of 2006-2012, but also our own records from then as well. We began to look back on all the things that made us want to be in a band in the first place and we wanted to make an album that came slightly easier to us.
In a reflection of the band’s own journey, the track presents a fun but insightful look into the tumultuous journey faced when growing up in a world that changes from what you once knew. Whilst discussing the acclimatization of old culture to new, this track also comes as a timely reminder for fans and bands alike when considering the heightened discussion of changing sounds and developing identities. These lyrics are a true presentation that those who were once your “kings and queens of the underground”, must grow and change with the times, but they will always hold the identity they once did! Finishing off with a 90s Good-Charlotte-esque, fast-paced riff, the deal is really sealed on this track!
One of You Me At Six’s most notable traits is their ability to adapt and collaborate (we all remember ‘Bite My Tongue’)! Luckily, ‘Truth Decay’ presents another opportunity for the band to display their innovative ways of implementing the sounds and ideas of loved and exciting artists! ‘No future? Yeah Right’ explodes with soaring synths and a technical basis to the song that adds an unmissable Enter Shikari vibe! Of course, this style is brought by no other than Rou Reynolds! Together, a perfect, collaborative partnership is made, with neither element outshining the other, but simply uplifting. The track is instantly addictive and lets us enjoy a cheeky little breakdown! This is one of my personal favourite tracks from ‘Truth Decay’.
The collaborations do not stop there, however! This time, YMAS joins forces with Cody Frost! Frost’s beautifully delicate yet forceful vocals are an admirable inclusion, and only help in unleashing an equally moving performance from Franceschi. The pair create a vocally show-stopping performance in the form of ‘A Love Letter To Those That Feel Lost’. It is certainly an unmissable track from this release, and more so, is a moving closer to one of the band’s most diverse and self-assured bodies of work.
‘Truth Decay’, in full, is an auditory journey of You Me At Six’s recent times as a band. Under the pressure of conforming to the old ‘wants’ and the new ‘needs’, they have created a blend of sound that marries their past with their present. However, this is not fan service. Instead, it reads as one of the band’s most self-assured albums to date. Through an exploration of sound, styles, emotions, and storytelling, we are introduced to the very state of the band’s musical identity- one that has, and will continue to be, in a state of flux. What is never lost, however, is the essence of You Me At Six itself, and continues to be found in excess within each body of work, including ‘Truth Decay’.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
With many more tracks to uncover, ‘Truth Decay’ is on all streaming services now!
For fans of: Yours Truly, Stand Atlantic, Between You & Me
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