Artist: Chad Valley
Album: Young Hunger
Label: Cascine
Release Date: October
30th, 2012
Review by: Sean
Kayden
Hugo
Manuel’s Chad Valley isn’t quite the one-man show anymore with his debut LP. He
has a number of guests contributing including romantic doom pop enthusiast,
Twin Shadow. For what it is,
“Young Hunger” is a silky smooth, tropical paradise of seductive beats that is
carried by the warm vocals Manuel belts out. Far from perfect or even wildly
innovative, Chad Valley’s takes cues and notes from previous generations to
craft tightly produced material that is utterly danceable and blissful. “Young
Hunger” benefits from its supporting players to give variety to the album since
Manuel sounds exactly the same on each track. His real talent is the way he mixes
his songs. They are considerably accessible which allows the listener to become
instantly enthralled with. What evolves is the perfect balance of pop and
electronic. Ultimately, Manuel has a keen sense of taking chances when you
least expect it. “Young Hunger” won’t rock the boat and certainly isn’t going
to blow you away, but the likability factor is huge and the fun, sweet vocals,
and romanticism wrapped tightly around the record should delight fans and
curious listeners.
With
ten full length tracks and an interlude, the album clocks in over 42 minutes.
It’s a good duration given the genre and especially since things start to sound
too alike after awhile. The real treat is “Fathering/Mothering,” which features
the vocals of Anne Lise Frøkedal. It’s a slow, methodical, and tranquil song
that will subdue any negative thoughts you may have. That’s why Hugo Manuel is
so damn good at what he does. His music is unbelievably soothing and lovely.
While his lyrics aren’t anything to go bonkers over, they are still enjoyable
and come across deeply personal at times. There is a subtle sweetness to “Young
Hunger.” The first half of the record makes you want to bust a move on the
dance floor, but the second half slows you down, puts away the worries for
another day. Come to think about it, the record feels like two EPs that make up
one LP since how both halves of the album take different directions. The second
half of Chad Valley’s solid debut asks you to put aside any problems and
concerns for a moment because you can always return to them but why not try to
just let yourself go for just a bit. I can definitely roll with and in this day
and age, who can’t?
For
the genre it plays into it, Chad Valley is quite the magician. His song often
cast spells on its listeners because your body is present, but mind travels
somewhere else, somewhere better. On the title track, Manuel is at his
undeniable best. The song is a spectacular showcase of tenderness and beauty
found within polished beats. Somehow, this guy manages to move you in deeper
way ever imaginable with the electronic sound—a genre that quite often expands
to very shallow and inept musicians. Unfortunately, Manuel almost falls into
this on the track, “My Girl,” where he inexplicably quotes a Spice Girls’ lyric
for some odd reason. Other than that noticeable misstep, the guy is pretty
legit as an artist. By the end of the record, Chad Valley does an admirable job
with what he set out to do. With “Young Hunger,” Manuel covers additional
ground than he probably should have since he could have benefited more by
taking the shorter, more distinct route rather than weaving through the
highways to finally reach his destination. Then again, at least he made it to
the end.
7.4 out of 10
Key Tracks: “Tell All Your
Friends”, “Fall 4 U”, “Young Hunger”, “Fathering/Mothering” Published by Mountain Views New on November 10th, 2012
http://mtnviewsnews.com/v06/htm/n45/p10.htm
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