Carpe Carmina: EP Review: The Juveniles - You Won't Control Us. A confident, provocative and thrilling debut is made!

Given you have followed the Juveniles' career attentively, you sure couldn't help but notice that the liverpool five-piece does not only come up with moody and energetic compositions but also has a theme in visual design when scenically illustrating their music-making: while videos for 'Please Don't Change' and 'Help Me Out' feature a petite lady - which could easily play a bigger role in those spooky movies à la Chucky, and that despite being neatly dressed (just saying) - the artwork of the alt-rock outfit's first record release picks up on related image and portrays a doll likewise, yet staged in a more dramatic style: a broken puppet on a string is pictured. The debut's title though gives away that we meet a group of musicians that won't allow music industry or anyone (pseudo-) authoritarian to direct or lead their creative process, to change who they are as a band, to alter or determine what sound they bring forth together. On contrary, the EP's eponymous track, 'You Won't Control Us' implies it lyrically, pronounces it musically - and that in an assertive and outspoken fashion: the Juveniles are free creative spirits and compose the music they feel confident and comfortable to embrace and showcase. The passionate musos go one step further even and level criticism against bristish society and polity with the title track of their musical opus; and as prevailing, blissful melodic ambience and mild, emotionally inviting vocal vibrancy (yet soaked in subtly shady, darkly moldering tonal gravity and accentuated by a progressively rousing drum diction - both telling of desired, impending change) run into a harmoniously copious soundscape, it's the excitingly revolting rhythmic rotation of 'You Won't Control Us' that commences a compositional change already. An alltogether drastically intensified instrumental stream, highlighted by perkily melodious riffage and fierce percussion momentum, rises to be the song's vibrantly pulsating and powerful heartbeat underneath mellow compositional composure (- nonetheless it's one that won't stop throbbing until it's been heard).

'Help Me Out' (read a more profound review of both, the song itself and its official music video here) dives into an equally dynamic and gloomy melodic atmosphere as the EP's sonorous namesake, yet lays a vigorous instrumental impulse on early, combines strong vocal passion and fuzzy guitar thrill convincingly.

Elusive and hauntingly hypnotic melodic charisma allies with a steady soon gravely clangorous drum pulse and thrilling guitar fuzz; a stirring conflict between tonal dreaminess and dramatic drive emerges that is further enhanced by the ambivalent vocal lead 'Beat Of A Drum' raises, shifting from a dimly absorbing, smooth tone to a more feisty one. A tale of depression and oppression, of monotony and trying to find one's vocation is told and musically delivered through a subtly spirited and suspensefully alluring melodic mood.

Still it's not all about riot and suppression, about being lost and finding a way, about envoking and calling on the Juveniles' debut EP; with 'Seen The Light' a brightly buoyant ray of lively swinging and ludically glowing melodies is sent out and conveys a breezy feel of delightful joviality, at least for the moment. Being drawn further into its shadowy sonic abysses, 'Seen The Light' reveals its sombre tonal and lyrical appeal though: vivacious drum beats and ardent vocal briskness, the song's pschychedelic tonal playfullness as such, evoke rapid melodic motion, while vividly sonorous, deep-toned bass swagger and funky, fiercely reverberative riffage radiate sinister vibes, all adding to the already dark and calamitous lyrical narration of the song per se. The liverpool alt-rockers make heading for disaster, facing up to demise sound grippingly intense and provokingly urgent. Definitely the most forceful song listed on the EP!

Five musicians, four songs, one debut - the Juveniles present rhythmically exciting, melodically thrilling and dynamically rousing musicianship full of atmosphere and rich in both narrational provocation and lyrical suspense. It's authentic and relevant, noisy storytelling and composing the listener is introduced to, and honestly, there is not much more one could ask for when acquainting onself with a debut release.

The Juveniles: Marc Gibbs (bass), Laurel Lau (keyboard),
Fabrizio Cabriolu (drums) [new drummer: Dan Delago (not pictured)],
Mike Paul Davies (lead vocals/guitar) & Liam Devall (guitar/backing vocals)