Last week, up and coming shoegaze band The Youth Play released their debut EP ‘Wildflowers,’ a pulsating four track effort demonstrating an enormity suited for grand stages.
Whilst resemblances to 90s acts such as Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine are inescapable, a rich and menacing quality keeps you wanting more from the fourpiece, uncovering another promising shoegaze-inspired artist paving the way for a genre revival in the UK and Ireland.
Since 2022, young bands like Bleach Lab, Horsegirl and GRAZER have all released debut albums tinged with a shoegaze-infused spirit and NewDad, Priestgate and the TikTok famous Blondes are all set to follow their contemporaries’ paths in the upcoming years. Elsewhere, there is an argument that a spectrum of alternative artists ranging from King Krule to Daughter to The Orielles have flirted with the genre in their latest albums.
The Youth Play’s muscular EP reveals the London outfit as a strong and confident young troop in this evolving field, with opener ‘After a Moment’ finding a sweet-spot in its mid-paced tempo, rendering it an apt fit for your long drive playlists, whereas eponymous single ‘Wildflowers’ intrigues with its grungy guitars.
This is followed by ‘On Fire', an alluringly balanced track with familiar My Bloody Valentine inspired whirring guitars collaborating with a meaty bassline. ‘When We Talk About Love’ is an appropriate closer: cathartic, euphoric and heartbreaking, as The Youth Play prove their ability to add layers of emotional weight to their work.
What is even more exciting is that this is only the beginning, and with an emerging pool of shoegaze-based talent bubbling under the surface, The Youth Play are destined to be on music lovers’ watchlists in the near future.
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