Summer Songs
Just in time for the first appearance of the sun over English fields this year (artistic license pending) comes a band who may just have released the perfect companion album for this side of the clocks going forward.
It becomes immediately clear that Presley Johnson are accomplished songwriters, and album fillers are a burden they don't intend on bearing. Complimented by two equally-strong vocalists and a solid backline, the Northampton quartet bring to mind vintage and modern folk rock in equal measures; their music as pleasant and uplifting as it is captivating.
No single song on Images of Youth defines the band, yet the album flows effortlessly from beginning to end. We Had It All opens with the kind of placid urban indie-rock that will turn heads and raise smiles simultaneously; the backing harmonies sinking in deep hooks for the catchy chorus.
The harmony-rich folk-rock of Anita's Last Dance is on par with most of Mumford and Sons' back catalogue, whilst the bitter-sweet acoustic country rock of Oh Love shines with nostalgia, reminiscent of old home videos and happy memories.
Elsewhere, second vocalist Jon Martin's voice shines on I Don't Love My Neighbour, bringing to mind The Kinks' Ray Davies as well as Brian May on Queen's bare-bones classic '39. The song itself is similarly pleasurable to listen to in all its quaint harmonic indulgence. The guitars get scuzzy for down-beat indie rocker My Muse, yet this never manages to uproot the album from its comfortable position in the chill box.
There's a maturity to the songwriting that comes through in both the lyrics and the music, with the eclectic mix of genres never disturbing the flow of the album. Even the gospel-inspired interlude of My Boat's Going To Hell adds a welcome twist, before the swaggering title track kicks in with a melody that'll have festival crowds singing along in unison.
The album starts to drift away from its summer glow towards the end, but the songs still laze in the kind of emotional warmth that will linger long after the album comes to a close. Images of Youth manages to capture the very essence of happy memories and long-forgotten sunny days, basking in nostalgia and a near-perfect mix of folk, country and chilled-to-the-max rock'n'roll; an album of well-crafted, memorable songs that are certain to part clouds even on the most miserable of rainy English days.