They say good things come to those who wait, and so it is with Maybeshewill’s latest release.
Since 2011’s _I Was Here For A Moment, Then _I Was Gone, the band’s profile has ballooned, with them touring all over the world and signing to Superball. Perhaps as a result of this experience, Fair Youth feels like the product of a very different band. Firstly, and perhaps most noticeably, the album is lighter than its predecessor. There are still those characteristically post-rock sweeping highs and rushes of distortion, as on All Things Transient and Waking Life, but there’s less grit. The exception to the rule is the frantic Sanctuary, which marks the high point of the record. Secondly, the album is more focused – there are still deeply layered takes – but this is a band that’s leaner and sharper. Of course, this makes sense. When you support Dillinger Escape Plan, why try to be heavier? There’s no point; and when you’re considering how to play an album live, then why not write it ready to be played as it was conceived. Fair Youth shows, if nothing else, that pragmatism doesn’t mean artistic compromise, and live it should prove just as excellent.
