It was intriguing to listen to Somebody’s Child second album When Youth Fades Away (Frenchkiss Records) after noting that German electronic pioneers Kraftwerk were a guiding light for the follow up to their self titled debut album released in 2023. Frontman Cian Godfrey shares the following on album number 2:
“If our first album was running away, this album is about staying put and reflecting. We’re letting people in and letting ourselves out.”
Evolving as an artist is inevitable for all creatives and Dublin’s Somebody’s Child want to be clear, this album is not about mourning the loss of youth but rather acknowledge and embracing the changes it brings. Opening track ‘The Kid’ immediately gives us a taste of the aforementioned influence. The metronomic beats of makes a bold and self confident statement from the outset. The guitar riffs continue throughout the track and the power builds. In fact its a minute before we hear any vocals. That beat is maintained throughout and it is an invigorating start to When Youth Fades Away.
‘Last Night I Held Your Hand’ is one of the most reflective track on the album. The difficulties of relationships and how they can be all consuming, particularly in youth, is most eloquently expressed here. ‘Porcelain (Losing All My Patience)’ also confronts the inevitability of getting older, indeed “losing all my patience holding onto youth” even suggests a desire to move forward onto the next chapter of life.
Title track ‘When Youth Fades Away’ has Kraftwerk’s vibe beating through its veins. Just listen to those pulsating electronic beats and the rhythm, cantering along, like a train on a track. This tempo reflects the desire to grab life as the next chapter arrives. And then ‘New Orleans’ which sets a very different tone. The instrumentation dominates and how beautiful it is too with the keyboards and the marching drum beat leading the way. The Gloaming member Thomas Bartlett (Doveman) provided the keyboards on this album and they add a layer beautifully executed on ‘New Orleans’. ‘When Youth Fades Away’ was recorded in the USA with Grammy Award-winning producer, Peter Katis (The National, Gang of Youths, Interpol). The band slept upstairs from Katis’ studio thus allowing them time to immersive themselves completing in the recording process. Located in suburban Connecticut they purposefully removed themselves from their visual, sensory and cultural reference points. Commenting further Godfrey explains:
“We only listened to a handful of artists for months leading into album writing sessions. In doing so, we closed in on ourselves in the process.”
Such immersion has seeped both into the subject matter of the album as well a development of different song structures, freed by any preconceived ideas of what they should or shouldn’t do on album No. 2. ‘Wall Street’ is a case in point. Anthemic in parts but also sections of quiet, blending the different pacing to create a glorious whole. The crafting of the soundscape is stunning on ‘Wall Street’, particularly the outro. To follow this with the sparky start to ‘My Mind is on Fire’ suggests a band thriving in their creativity. There is a sense the shackles have been thrown off, creating experimentation in both the vocals as well as the instrumentation. On ‘My Mind is on Fire’ the tone is contemplative, considering the passing of youth and the changes it brings. The suggestion is one of excitement for the future and the exuberant energy is utterly captivating.
Does ‘Irish Goodbye’ lyrically reflect the impact of Ireland? The whipsmart lyrics suggest so:
“So I wrote this song for you
Made it out alive
But let it be said that you
You found me a joke
I’m glad I could make you laugh”
Ireland has such a pull on its people even across the miles: “I feel your arms around me. We’re on Fifth Avenue.” Perhaps it refers to a loved one who is unable to accept inevitable change. Letting go of the past has its challenges, and heading off in different tangents into the future can be difficult. ‘Irish Goodbye’ hints at catharsis, a need to process change. This thoughtfulness continues on‘The Waterside’, a love song, the vocals accompanied by guitar and slow drum beat but also with a constant echoey bassline adding a heavy layer, seemingly to reflect a sadness.
When Youth Fades Out ends on the uplifting ‘Life Will Go On’ with its intense passion in the vocal delivery, and ‘Time Of My Life’ arguably the most open and honest track on the album. The scuzzy guitar at the start is soon joined by the vocal of Godfrey. The quality of his voice is undeniable, but on this track in particular he is given the chance to let loose, the passion and emotion is raw and true. ‘Time Of My Life’ acknowledges growing up, reflecting on school days, recognising the past and its part in framing the person one is, but it is time to move on and forward, whatever that may be bring.
Somebody’s Child have embraced the process to write and record their second album wholeheartedly. The theme and inspirations are clear, but the surprising element of ‘When Youth Fades Away’ is its instrumentation and the willingness to not simply repeat the winning formula of their debut, but to explore and incorporate other influences. The result is an album which expresses so much about moving into adulthood, but within unexpected soundscapes. It’s obvious Somebody’s Child’s aim was to evolve, and they have achieved that on this glorious second album.
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