(Alternative, Indie, Electronic) Wild Cub - Youth - 2014, MP3, 320 kbps

American indie group Wild Cub came together in early 2012 when songwriter/composer Keegan DeWitt joined forces with multi-instrumentalist Jeremy Bullock and began creating their infectious brand of electro-pop. DeWitt had become disillusioned with life in New York, and after being offered a promotion at his day job, he chose to quit. He moved to Nashville and focused his energy on forming Wild Cub alongside writing film and documentary scores. Once he met Bullock, the wheels were set in motion and the arrivals of drummer Dabney Morris, bassist Harry West, and synth/keys player Eric Wilson cemented the lineup. From there they wrote and recorded their debut album, Youth, which was recorded in Bullock's house after they'd taken it over to complete the songs. The record arrived in 2012 and was well-received on both sides of the Atlantic. Alongside a number of high-profile tour dates and festivals in America, they won favorable reviews for their jubilant, '80s-inspired synth pop and infectious guitar hooks. In the summer of 2013, their single "Thunder Clatter" was used in a worldwide advertisement for Bose, and it subsequently reached the U.K. chart. In early 2014, the self-released album was reissued to greater distribution and with bonus tracks on the Mom & Pop Music label.
http://wildcubmusic.com/

The debut album from Nashville’s Wild Cub, Youth, collects a set of spacey songs perfect for kicking back your feet, zoning-out, and humming softly along. By the time the anthem “Colour” swings in, frontman Keegan DeWitt’s pop artistry is in full display. It’s a standout track for its big drumbeats and the urgency with which DeWitt repeatedly sings, “Don’t stop,” holding his last note with control and defiance. The energy throughout is relentless, and it’s the first hint of Wild Cub’s staying-power among the numerous players in the synth-pop game.
The songs that resonate do so because of the chants and the shouts, sparkled by DeWitt’s gentle power. Try “Thunder Clatter”, a frenzied composition mixed with the right ingredients for dancing. The prevailing lyrical themes, which surface through the guitar, the bass, and the claps, are loud and clear: “I hear it all in the center of my heart/ You’re the love of my life.”
As the album title would imply, DeWitt’s youth also lives at the center of his heart, which helps him write songs about his memories with help from multi-instrumentalist Jeremy Bullock. Of course, nostalgia can often get sleepy and distant, which is what happens towards the middle of the album. Songs like “The Water” are wistful in in nature, but sometimes even easygoing freedom needs to be harnessed or given a direction. Fortunately, the album turns around nicely with “Jonti”, an upbeat, staccato shift from the dream-like flow of Youth.
Although substance stretches thin at times, replaced instead by studio-enhanced sound, Youth is a safely-played showcase of dreamy, melodic synth-pop. It’s not risky, but it is beautiful. On this debut, Wild Cub gives us a soundtrack for our nostalgic tendencies.

Keegan DeWitt
Jeremy Bullock
Dabney Morris
Harry West
Eric Wilson