Take one look at the Subways and you see The O.C.’s version of the Strokes. They have the requisite minimalist style, an amalgam of other musical styles that The O.C. likes to promote (indie-pop, alternative, emo), and a really nice story behind them. The story is how the band revolves around Billy Lunn, and how his childhood dreams have come to life along with his brother, drummer Josh Morgan, and his fiancée/backing vocalist Charlotte Cooper. To hear Lunn talk about how the band has come together is so endearing that it feels cheap, saccharine, and fake. Thing is, The Subways don’t really need to cry out to be liked for reasons other than their music. Young for Eternity’s blend of party rock is slightly less enjoyable than, say, OK Go’s Oh No, and it’s certainly not the modern rock statement that Is This It? was, but there’s certainly nothing wrong with that. On occasion, the trading vocals between Lunn and Cooper makes for an interesting read; for instance, the opener “I Want to Hear What You Have Got to Say” seems to orchestrate a fight between the couple. The happening is rare, as most of their tracks are the sort of filler that rounds out a movie soundtrack: solid, sure, but somewhat forgettable. Young for Eternity ultimately makes them a likable new addition to the rock scene, a group far more entertaining than the television show that ultimately spawned their leap.
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