Album of the Week: PAWS’ Youth Culture Forever

I’ve fallen in love with the music that has been coming out of Scotland for the past few years, as odd as it may seem. Sure, you’ve got rock groups like Franz Ferdinand, The Fratellis, The Vaselines and Teenage Fanclub that have been continuously putting out awesome music. Even those identical folk twins in The Proclaimers are still kicking around the can a little bit (and they also have a better version of Kings Of Leon’s “17” that you should check out). An up-and-coming garage punk act from Glasgow in PAWS are coming out with their second full-length, Youth Culture Forever, and it’s a very dynamic album that shows a variety of loud and quiet tones to please the senses. Get with the fuzz and give it a scratch; this record is a must have for any underground music junkie.

Like a lot of acts have done, the punk trio camped out in a studio in the woods just outside New York to create something that definitely has a homey vibe. It’s a tad different than PAWS’ debut Cokefloat! that was released in October 2012; a plethora of dimensions have been added to the songs on the new album to give their sound more structure and meaning. I do dig the parts where lead singer and guitarist, Philip Taylor, does his solo routines on nearly every track. It feels like he’s telling you a story and then the rest of the band turns up the volume for the conflict. Youth Culture Forever shows a talented group of rock & rollers not succumbing to the sophomore slump and instead reveling in their sophomore success.

It’s that time again, which could mean a lot of things in Providence. It’s the time again for the change in the weather, which means that you’ll probably become deathly ill sooner or later from making out with your significant other or accidentally drinking someone else’s beer at a party. It’s also that time again for my top tracks off of the Album Of The Week, which could either drive you mad or liven up your musical taste. Hopefully it’s exactly what you need. Here goes something:

The emphatic rhythms of “Someone New” will make your head rattle like a bobblehead doll; when the riff kicks in it’ll invade your soul. Another track that should make you become your own personal mosh pit is “Give Up.” The drumming is really the glue that holds everything else together for a righteous jam. The chorus on “Let’s All Let Go” is simply electrifying. It’s perfect syncopation gives your ears a jolt that’ll never go away. As always with this review, I can only name a few. That doesn’t mean that Youth Culture Forever isn’t awesome from start to finish, so you definitely should check it out.

PAWS are currently in the middle of a tour with indie sonic rockers We Are Scientists and they played a show at Brighton Music Hall in Boston with them a few weeks ago on April 19. If you’re willing to make the trip, PAWS will be celebrating the release of Youth Culture Forever at Shea Stadium in Brooklyn on May 24. Until PAWS blows the roof off of your friendly neighborhood music venue, grab a copy of Youth Culture Forever. It’s an amazing album from a band across the pond that you’ll absolutely love.

PAWS’ Website: wehavepaws.com