Hey everyone, fancy another super slick pop-rock / post-hardcore band whose lyrical content is primarily standing up to adversity and embracing being an outsider? No? Didn’t think so, but clearly no one’s told Youth In Revolt, considering they continue to milk the genre playbook like a prized heifer.

To be fair, there are some aspects about ‘The Broken’ that manage to click – opener ‘The Noise’ brings at least a bit of pace and energy to the table, and Tanner Allen’s surprisingly potent shriek on ‘Love Is A Liar’s Game’ is a much need jolt of immediacy. But elsewhere, Youth In Revolt stick so close to their appropriated template that there’s really no need for this album to exist; repackage this as a new Sleeping With Sirens album and it would make literally no difference.

This is across the board too – ‘Brisbane’ is the token sickly ballad that lacks any semblance of power, ‘I’m Not Scared’ is the fluffy attempt at arena-rock that is so bogged down by a desire to be empowering that falls spectacularly flat, and if you can make it through the title track without cringing at least once, there’s bragging rights for you right there.

But when it comes to this sort of stuff, who doesn’t expect this by now? With just a bit of drive, Youth In Revolt could’ve been the band to change the stigma this genre has. Sure it’s catchy, but it’s profoundly lazy and empty, coasting by on tired clichés and ideals that are included out of necessity rather than desire. Just stay away from this album, if only to save the dead horse this band are beating from suffering any more.

1.5/5

‘The Broken’ by Youth In Revolt is released on 17th February on Outerloop Records.

Youth In Revolt links: Facebook|Twitter

Words by Luke Nuttall (@nuttall_luke)