Adam KeysYou Me At Six – Night People (Infectious Records)
Genre – Alt Rock / Pop Rock
You Me At Six is a band who just keep on growing. From their humble Surrey beginnings in 2004, to three top five albums; support tours to stadium sell outs, John Franceschi and co. have gone from emo, pop punks to one of Britain’s biggest rock bands.
With such growing success from their first four albums – four very different albums – big things were expected from Night People, and boy have they achieved it!
Night People is a far cry from the band’s early releases, combining the best of Sinners Never Sleep and Cavalier Youth, in a much slower, electric fashion. Having slowed the tempo, Franceschi’s vocals are clearer than ever before; more ragged, raspy and brilliantly intimate, despite the stadium anthem effects.
Opening with the album’s lead single Night People, You Me At Six make their new direction clear from the off with a delicious blues guitar intro, slow, but heavy drumming and fabulously sleazy vocals. This opening will really hit fans in the face. It may shock long term fans, but will certainly open the band up to a new audience due to the sounds on show and the carefully worked arrangements throughout the track.
Heavy Soul, the album’s early stand out, is much slower, but filled with groove and dancing desire. It’s close and personal, radio friendly, and surely a new fan favourite with continuous changes in pitch from Franceshi, who hasn’t always been able to show off his vocals as he’s previously battled with the gritty, racing duel guitars of Max Helyer and Chris Miller.
This slower approach continues with Take On The World, but in a very different way. Heavy Soul is a slow, but dancy rock song. Take On The World is a fully fledged pop song, with harmonised vocals supported by crescendoed guitars and delicate symbols.
Brand New and Make Your Move take that band back to 2012, with a much more pop rock focus. Both tracks see Franceschi’s vocals revert to that of their early days, with stop start guitars and big choruses that will definitely excite fans who have been with You Me At Six from their early days.
Night People finishes on a monumental high with penultimate track Spell It Out, which may just be one of the best songs the band has ever produced. Displaying the maturity of the quintet, Spell It Out sees Max Halyer’s lead guitar take the lead as he dictates the tempo alongside the controlled drumming of Dan Flint, to create a brilliant combination of a classic rock riffs and military style drumming.
You Me At Six has grown with each release and Night People is likely to take them to the next level. A brilliant release from a band who continue to set new expectations with each passing year.
RUSHONROCK RATED – 9/10 Watch out 2017, You Me At Six has arrived!
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