Mess+Noise album review: You Am I – ‘You Am I’, October 2010

An album review for Mess+Noise. Excerpt below.

You Am I You Am I

When discussing a new release from an act like You Am I, there’s a tendency to compare it to past works. Can it match Hi Fi Way or Hourly, Daily? Was it as disappointing as Dilettantes? So let’s try something different. Let’s pretend it’s their first album, not their ninth. Could it be wedged comfortably between the buzz bands of 2010, and hold its own? Could You Am I find an audience with You Am I if it were their debut?

I won’t string you along. The answer to all of the above is “yes”, but here’s where my review concept falls apart: it’d be nigh on impossible for a rock band’s debut to emerge so fully-formed. The songs and sounds contained within You Am I could only be written by a band with 20-plus years of experience up their sleeves. Its trajectory is remarkable, as the LP seems to gather momentum and clarity as it nears the end; a rarity among musical acts of any genre, for sure. It feels as though the album’s near-perfect pacing is integral to its impact. Its 11 tracks offer disparate moods and experiences, yet they’re loosely threaded through the same rock narrative that made them endearing in the first place.

Full review at Mess+Noise. More You Am I at MySpace. Video for their single ‘Trigger Finger‘ embedded below.

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