Record Review: Young Galaxy "Down Time"

$22.99 CAD //
Edition of 300 //
https://younggalaxyofficial.bandcamp.com/album/down-time //

Young Galaxy will always be a special artist for me.    When I began doing a steady #SongOfTheDay this year, I tried to plan the songs as specifically as I could to the day that they were on.    Valentine's Day was a love song, for example.   I selected Young Galaxy's song "Under My Wing" (which is the first song on this record) as the #SongOfTheDay on my son's birthday (he turned six this year) and that was not by accident.   Everything I do is for a reason.

When trying to describe the music of Young Galaxy, it might take some getting used to for anyone to understand.   I hear bits of artists like Erica Eso and Gotye, who are somewhat similiar in their own aspects, but in many ways I would call this lo-fi electronic overall, which is just perfect for vinyl.   The percussion at times can make it feel tribal and for some reason whenever I hear these uplifting type of songs in this style I always think of the "Lion King" soundtrack though it's more of the score to that movie really as I'm not the biggest fan of the soundtrack even.

At times this can remind me of Club 8 but it just has that can't-quite-put-my-finger-on-it familiar feel.   It has soul.  It's smooth.  Electronic laser shots can come out.   By the end of the entire album you can find yourself even thinking it has a little of the same qualities as Ace of Base (which is awesome)  So even though the lo-fi electronics could be described as chill(wave), they do pick up the pace and get wild.

One of the things I enjoy most about music is that it's not just about what you hear and whether you like the sound of it or not, but often times it can be about how it makes you feel and what it makes you think of.   "Down Time" makes me feel like I'm outside on a hot summer day.   The air conditioner is broken or maybe the power is out on the whole block.   But someone is playing the record somehow.   We're all on the sidewalks and in the street and someone busted one of the fire hydrants so we're all playing in the water.