Young Aviators – Self Help

Rising through the dank underbelly of London’s music venues and hot on the heels of two nationwide support tours, the Young Aviators have been exciting audiences with their upbeat jovial onstage antics, fun crowd interaction and rousing three-part harmonies since late 2009. Looking to continue their rallying momentum, the band are set to release their first album Self Help.

Unfortunately for the young Irish trio, currently living in Glasgow, their fresh and energetic live sound has suffered the same fate as other famous animated acts (such as The Specials and Ian Dury and The Blockheads) by not transcending well onto record. This is in no part due to the band’s musical abilities, rather the poor studio production that plagues the entire album.

John Markey’s drumming in particular appears too distant and minute to provide any real body for most of the album, with the notable exception of the Jet-enthused We’ve Got a Name for Folks Like You, and A Love to Change Your Ways – an infectious, summertime romp that has the potential to conquer any music festival.

Sunrise on the Motorway and Rejection Letter attribute sufficiently to the assortment of spikily riffed, juvenile anthems, yet suffer from wobbling guitar levels and fading drum fills as do live-show favourites Future Pill and newly released single Forward Thinking (think The Fratellis but with less punch).

Perhaps the most significant and detrimental casualty lost to the low-grade production is their signature rich vocal harmonies. Lead vocalist Decky McKay is somewhat spared any discomposure, but the rest of the band are left sounding scarcely adrift in the distance, diminishing the once robust sound that originally got heads turning.

Overall, Self Help presents itself as an enjoyable combination of light-hearted adolescent melodies and the rough and ready sounds of new wave surf that is bound to hoister the group to new heights. It’s simply unfortunate that the sound quality falls short at conveying the true spirit and force of such an energetic and contagious live act.

Jack Hill

Self Help was released on 14^th May 2013. For further information or to order the album visit Young Aviators’ website here.

Watch the video for Forward Thinking here: