2012 was a strong year for music. From mainstream releases like Frank Ocean and Macklemore, to great alternative albums from Alt J and the XX, 2012 gave us one of the best showings of the past few years. Through all of these great releases, however, I have no doubt in my mind that "Home" is the best album of the year. Through this blend of post-punk, folk, and rock and roll, Young Jesus puts forth a concept album spanning eleven tracks.
On opening track "Family and Friends", we learn quite easily what this album is going to be about simply by repeating one short phrase.
"Your family and friends will never die...
Everybody's gonna be alright tonight"
The vocals of frontman John Rossiter without a doubt power this song forward. Reminiscent of Matt Beringer of the National, Rossiter starts out calm and finishes the track by practically screaming the lyrics. In "David", we meet the main character of our story. David is utilized to tell the familiar story of a long time friend changing and growing distant over time. We also meet David's love interest Eloise, who moves away. "Fallin' For You" is by far the most upbeat song on the album. It's catchy and fun in the simplest forms, while also having a wonderful line from bassist Shawn Nystrand that really pushes the track. It's fast paced and reflects on the simple pleasures in life.
"New Cool" is a very drum heavy song. In my eyes, Drummer Peter Martin is the star of this track. "News" comes next, and is definitely one of my favorite tracks on the album. A song that begins with just vocals and an acoustic guitar quickly turns into something much more, as Rossiter breaks into a yell. Shortly after, a quick guitar solo from Cody Kellogg pushes the song into a new area. Rossiter comes back in with some haunting vocals ("I've got these scars of you"). With the final line of "Now all I've got is news", we hear the clapping and cheering of a crowd. This track completes the first act of the album, and is, in my opinion, the strongest of this half.
After a quick interlude with "Family and Friends (Reprise)", we are thrown into the much darker second half of the album. "Away" kicks things off in act two, telling of a night out with friends which are full of drugs and alcohol. The chorus sees Rossiter break into another haunting yell. The persistence is in his voice as we hear "You're not what I've been looking for" repeated often throughout the song. "The Greater Boulders" really stands out to me as one of the best tracks on the album. We hear the vocals of a character who seems to have gone mad. Props again go to John Rossiter, as we hear spoken verses that would strike fear of violence as he repeats the line "I'm half disturbed, half high as hell". The track transitions to a finale of beautiful layered vocals over a dark guitar melody.
"Earthquake" is an acoustic track which really serves as an update on our character David. the chorus once again gives us haunting vocals, as Rossiter croons "I am drunk and sentimental." "Not Quite Dead" seems to be a more experimental track. It begins with a simple guitar melody and grungy vocals before things get much more cluttered. Noisy, overdriven guitar comes in while distorted vocals repeatedly shriek "We've all changed, can you feel the flames the same?". After some more heavy distortion, we get a much more mellow Rossiter repeating the line "Give up your love" with some simple humming in the background. This is still a solid track, but it seems too out of place with the rest of the album at times.
"Home" is the final track of the album and is also the best overall song. A minor piano comes in with a driving rhythm, followed by Rossiter's vocals. In this final track, Rossiter seems to admit the autobiographical nature of the story as he sings "I am David, I am David, I am Eloise I'm jaded". This track is the most raw on the album and really closes it out perfectly. The track makes mention of many of the titles of earlier tracks on the album as well as other bands that seem to serve as influences. The album closes with the mournful Rossiter stating "I am happy, I am sound...I've got my family and my friends...I think I knew it all along."
"Home" is, simply enough, and album about life. It is about the highs and the lows and everything in between. "Home" is the epitome of the human experience. Young Jesus may be new to the scene, but they certainly set the bar high for other acts. "Home" is a tough album to beat overall, and it will be exciting to see what Rossiter and Co. can do in the future!
"Home" by Young Jesus can be purchased through the band's BandCamp page at https://youngjesus.bandcamp.com/album/home
