Los Campesinos!: Hold On Now, Youngster...

Label: Arts & Crafts

Imagine a parallel universe where Architecture in Helsinki spent all their time listening to Billy Bragg instead of tweaking their drum machines. Or maybe where Life Without Buildings or Huggy Bear made more money than the Arcade Fire and everyone listened to the Ramones all day. This realm would be close to the world UK seven-piece, high-energy ensemble Los Campesinos! resides in. Hold On Now, Youngster… is the group’s first LP, following a 2006 EP, and the 12 tracks are doused in hyperactive jubilance, hooky guitars, boy-girl melody swapping and lots of triumphant shouting. One of those rare records where every song could be a single but each one outdoes the last. The Campesinos crew fearlessly walk a line between witty and absurd in their songs, making fun of themselves and indie culture simeltaniously, wrapping self-doubt and weirdo humor in mile-a-minute pop owing as much to the C86 brit pop era as it does to a long line of home-recorded punk too smart for it’s own good.