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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Reviews
Ashby-de-la-Zouche's favourite sons return with a second album of angular punk-pop songs, lyrical eccentricity, and wry observations that curl an eyebrow at English society like schoolboys gazing at ants through a magnifying glass. Whereas the Young Knives' debut album Voices of Animals and Men felt like a clever spin on the skinny guitars and lurching bass of the post-punk revival bands, Superabundance feels like a bigger, deeper record, one which finds the Young Knives adding layers of guitars, parping trumpets, and orchestral trimmings to the brew. There are further changes to the formula, too: while earlier Young Knives material felt witty and versed in the language of farce, Superabundance is a rather more melancholy, pensive affair, full of quiet disgust. "Up All Night" takes a determined sober look at late-night hedonism: "Everybody looks famous/They've been wasting lots of time/And everybody looks special/In their mind's eye". In the following "Counters", someone gasses themselves in the front seat of their car. Luckily, the Young Knives are compelling enough characters that they can carry off occasional sour vibes without coming on as crotchety old men: take "Dyed in the Wool", a heart-on-sleeve plea for simplicity that rhymes "headlock" with "wedlock" as a means of sneaking into your affections. It works, too. --Louis Pattison
Review
Mouthy, opinionated and cynical they may be, but it's hard not to love the Young Knives. Rather than bring out what singer and principal songwriter Henry Dartnall predicted would be "...a second album of sh*t songs like every other band..." Superabundance admirably builds on their reputation for savvy, joyful dissections of the descent of civilisation. But can they really hold our attention with their adherence to indie rock?
Sure, the production from Mogwai-associate, Tony Doogan, is warm and bouncy and gives the Ashby De La Zouch trio room to breath, yet one feels they could have taken a few more chances. The sequencing of the album also detracts from any progress they may have made in the interim since Voices Of Animal & Men. A little more variation on the first half may have kept the attention more successfully. The fact remains that, if you're going to pass yourselves off as young geeks with a love for tweed and moaning about our debased times, it may help to choose a different format to convey this in other than the generic, angular guitar rock that peppers Superabundance. While songs like Light Switch or Terra Firma may contain lyrical gems, the music itself still conforms to the stop/start/shouty chorus/rattling high hat-type of template that so many of Britain's brightest hopes have employed over the last four years.
Yet, before we descend to the 'hipper' level of using this to label the Knives as mediocre, let's focus on the positives. Firstly the lyrics: Dartnall has a lovely line in bleak observation. For him modern life really is rubbish: " We're all slaves on this ship, this ship's sinking, we will not reach the shore" (Turn Tail). He's particularly good on the young coked-up socialite-baiting Up All Night ("what's the point?...everybody looks famous...everybody feels special tonight"), especially when he employs that sweetly whingey tone that's so blackly hilarious. Secondly: for every frantic indie-alike effort there's a moment of transcendent, almost psychedelic beauty. Turn Tail's strings add depth and the harmonies and dog barks on Counters push it into far more interesting territory at times. Later, Rue The Day approaches the raga-swirl of the Stone Roses more acid-drenched moments and Flies is a charmingly creepy vignette. It's just a shame that they return again and again to the jangly guitar cliches.
There's more than enough on Superabundance to keep hope alive that they can break out of a genre straightjacket that does them no favours. The smarts on display give the game away: These Knives remain as sharp as ever. --Dennis O'Dell
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I brought this in Bath on Monday morning really really not knowing what to expect, I was just expecting an average indie album, but I was so so wrong. Fit 4 U kicks off the album superbly, and gives you a sort of preview of what to expect, you cannot help chanting to the lyrics of some of the songs on the album as if you have known all the songs for years, my standout track for the album would have to be Turn Tail, it is an excellent track , i think myself already it is one of the best album tracks of 2008, it has to be a future single. Terra Firma is also a good track. All the album is superb, if you liked the debut album get this and you will be blown away, I promise you, you will not be disappointed, Unless you listen to NME.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is a totally underrated album by the magnificent Young Knives. Its classic edgy indie rock. The first half of the album is similar to stuff found on the excellent 'Voices of Animals and Men', with a polished feel. The album gets more interesting from Turn Tail onwards. Mummy Light the Fire, with its magnificent psychedelic feel, Flies and Current of the River totally change the feel and tempo of the album, hoisting it to 'classic' in my book. There is something slightly sinister about the Knives, especially when the House of Lords is singing, which I like, in particular and this feeling certainly increases towards the end of the album, when the music and lyrical delivery matches the darkness of the lyrics.
The Knives are also big on ironic social commentary- listen to Fit 4 U and Up All Night, especially. The lyrics are disturbing, gloomy, and totally juxtaposed with the abundently rich, hummable and melodic music. Counters is the antithesis of pop lyrically- "Sitting in the front seat/Turning on the motor/Sucking on a hosepipe"- is the chorus, but musically would sit happily on Radio One or the 'Charts'. The ultimate irony, of course, is that a band this articulate and imaginative do not grace the upper echelons of the 'charts' or mainstream music. But, I suppose, thats the point'.
The Knives are also big on ironic social commentary- listen to Fit 4 U and Up All Night, especially. The lyrics are disturbing, gloomy, and totally juxtaposed with the abundently rich, hummable and melodic music. Counters is the antithesis of pop lyrically- "Sitting in the front seat/Turning on the motor/Sucking on a hosepipe"- is the chorus, but musically would sit happily on Radio One or the 'Charts'. The ultimate irony, of course, is that a band this articulate and imaginative do not grace the upper echelons of the 'charts' or mainstream music. But, I suppose, thats the point'.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Having loved the first eclectic offering from (formerly The) Young Knives, it was a given that I'd get the DVD version of the new album. I kept waiting to see a list of what was on the DVD, but all I saw anywhere was a listing that matched the CD track listing. I wrongly assumed that this was a persistent error at every site I checked.
What they've done, in fact, is made a DVD of videos for every song on the album, even the hidden 'bonus track'! Not only that, but the majority of the vids were produced by the band's front man himself (although at least one of these, 'Turn Tail,' has already been entirely redone -- presumably by someone else -- with an obviously better budget for commercial viewing). These include in their various number a fairly brilliant stop-motion animation of his Playmobil figures for 'Current of the River' and a goofy 3D video (more like a short film...but you'll have to get your own glasses) for 'Dyed in the Wool.' The band vids range from quaint and corny to clever and artful, while the few contributions from outside the band tend more to the quaint and artful.
The album itself is a clear furtherance of the promise presented on Knives' first disc. There are still clearly modern pop gems ('Turn Tail,' 'Fit 4 U,' 'Terra Firma' et al.), but also tracks making it clear the lads have been digging in their record collections for older influences; listen to the fuzztone inflected 'I Can Hardly See Them' (complete with riff borrowed from The Kinks) or folkier offerings 'Rue The Days,' 'Flies' and the last two tracks, and it's evident their 60s roots are showing.
If you like this band, you probably already own this album. If you don't know the band, this is a better place to introduce yourself than 'Voices...' If you don't already own 'Superabundance' (or do and have some cash to throw about), the +DVD version is well worth buying.
What they've done, in fact, is made a DVD of videos for every song on the album, even the hidden 'bonus track'! Not only that, but the majority of the vids were produced by the band's front man himself (although at least one of these, 'Turn Tail,' has already been entirely redone -- presumably by someone else -- with an obviously better budget for commercial viewing). These include in their various number a fairly brilliant stop-motion animation of his Playmobil figures for 'Current of the River' and a goofy 3D video (more like a short film...but you'll have to get your own glasses) for 'Dyed in the Wool.' The band vids range from quaint and corny to clever and artful, while the few contributions from outside the band tend more to the quaint and artful.
The album itself is a clear furtherance of the promise presented on Knives' first disc. There are still clearly modern pop gems ('Turn Tail,' 'Fit 4 U,' 'Terra Firma' et al.), but also tracks making it clear the lads have been digging in their record collections for older influences; listen to the fuzztone inflected 'I Can Hardly See Them' (complete with riff borrowed from The Kinks) or folkier offerings 'Rue The Days,' 'Flies' and the last two tracks, and it's evident their 60s roots are showing.
If you like this band, you probably already own this album. If you don't know the band, this is a better place to introduce yourself than 'Voices...' If you don't already own 'Superabundance' (or do and have some cash to throw about), the +DVD version is well worth buying.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A pleasant surprise!
I had only heard a few of the young knives songs at my friends house but liking what i heard, I decided to buy the album. Read more
Published on 20 Feb 2010 by Claire Limonade
Geeks bearing gifts
I've really fallen in love with this album after repeated listens. As many reviewers have said, it's very much an album of two halves with the first 6 tracks bearing more... Read more
Published on 23 Aug 2008 by Fedo
Check the cover
A big let down after Voices of Animals and Men. What happened to all the humour and weirdness? The album cover really sums up the music.
Published on 28 July 2008 by Keef
Great album
I had heard a couple of their singles and thought I would give the album a try. The first couple of listens I wasn't that convinced abut after a couple of listens more it really... Read more
Published on 11 July 2008 by ThirdPrize
A band further developing it's own particular line of strangness...
The Young Knives, on their second album "Voices of Animals and Men", were the slightly barmy, quirky band produced by Andy "Gang of Four" Gill, who mostly "angular" in riff but... Read more
Published on 16 May 2008 by Ben
Mummy Light The Fire???
If it was not for the inexplicably godawful 'Mummy Light The Fire' this album would be an instant classic. I only bought it because I heard 'Counters' on the radio. Read more
Published on 9 April 2008 by Mr. G. Roberts
A very strong follow up
Superabundance shows that TYK are not a flash in the pan, they have managed to deliver a very strong follow-up to their debut. Read more
Published on 19 Mar 2008 by J. Bloss
Bit gloomy perhaps but genuine indie pop gold!
I kind of owe the Young Knives a star for this one, having said the first one was a bit smug, only giving it four stars then playing it to absolute death and just loving it. Read more
Published on 17 Mar 2008 by R. B. Moore
Hey Runner! What Are You Running From?
I don't know if any band can be better than their debut album because their sound is always going to change slightly but I can honestly say that this album is as a good as their... Read more
Published on 13 Mar 2008 by S. Burge
Very good follow up
"Voices of Animals and Men" was without doubt one of my favourite albums of 2006, so how The Young Knives were going to follow it up intrigued me. Read more
Published on 12 Mar 2008 by r0132
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