Younger Brother - The Last Days Of Gravity

[kabamaru]

 

Almost four and a half years have passed since the very successful debut album A Flock of Bleeps of the project Younger Brother, with fans crying out for a sequel for the last couple of years. Their wish is now granted, the veterans of psytrance, Simon Posford (Hallucinogen) and Benji Vaughan (Prometheus) are finally back with their second complete album work and it takes the duet's project a few good steps forward.

 

Their first album was essentially divided in two parts. The first had a freestyle chill out electronica feeling, a bit like Shpongle but with its own distinct identity. The second part was standing on very solid ground, 4 psy-trance tracks from a couple of guys that really know their stuff.

The Last Days of Gravity is different. Simon & Benji have no hesitations any more to leave their psy-trance roots behind and explore the possibilities the first part of their debut hinted at, always with a distinct british style. At first, you'll think you're listening to Shpongle 3.5. Techniques, sounds, fx, and mood are similar to Shpongle, worryingly similar at parts. The differentiation manifests itself, fortunately, when you realize the very clear Pink Floyd influences and even some Ozric Tentacles elements. Younger Brother blend these influences with the Shpongle style (minus the Raja Ram craziness) with a spontaneous, almost childlike, frivolity -maybe that's where the album title refers to!- and give us their version of psychedelic (rock/electronica, it doesn't really matter anymore) music.

 

An album made, clearly, for festivals and with obvious references to the '60s psychedelia. It's nothing earth shattering or radically new. It is however bright (cheesy at times for some), joyful, really fun and it manages (even if sometimes barely) to differentiate itself from Shpongle. The certain thing is that you can hear Younger Brother playing music and having lots of fun!

 

8/10

[amphiton]

I've never seen an album that got 5/5 with 14 votes @ discogs, even Asura got less.

[GreatThinker]

Poor, poor, poor sequel to the amazing FLOCK OF BLEEPS! I was so looking forward to this and I am greatly disappointed with this mediocre album.

 

This album lacks all the originality, creativity and imagination of the first and what you have is just bland music that offers nothing new to the genre.

 

Only track that I liked was 'Ribbon on a Ranch'.

 

Rating: 5/10

[agia_igoumeni]

An album made, clearly, for festivals and with obvious references to the '60s psychedelia. It's nothing earth shattering or radically new. It is however bright (cheesy at times for some), joyful, really fun and it manages (even if sometimes barely) to differentiate itself from Shpongle. The certain thing is that you can hear Younger Brother playing music and having lots of fun!

 

i think its reference to the '60s psychedelia' is the same reference thas has a typical full-on type of guy with old school goa-trance..just for the label of ''..60s psychedelia'',maybe to catch new-listeners from the ''non-psytrance'' side of music industry..

the true 60s psychedelia is around 'the amorphous androgynous'..

 

nevertheless, ''last days..'' is a very nice album to drink your morning coffee with while the smokes of a very smelly hash joint floats around in the room..

 

yup,bitches simon did it again

 

7/10

[kabamaru]

...maybe to catch new-listeners from the ''non-psytrance'' side of music industry..

bingo

 

 

true about the amorphous androgynous though...

[nilavati]

good work, but something is wrong(i like uniqueness) . there are some similarity between Elephant machine & Nothing last... album .

[psygnus]

IMO this album is a unique and brilliant piece of music.

I just love it. It's different than anything else we heard from Simon & Benji, but better than i have expexted.

The only thing i miss are the uptempo younger brother tracks. I hope they give us a full psytrance album in the future...

 

9/10.

 

Peace.

[Verb]

why even bother to compare the old album with the new i dont understand.

though i supose if youre gonna compare at all thats an obvious comparission...

 

But i like it and i dont compare it becuase its another album, and four years

 

brilliantly produced. lovely soundscapes. excellent drumrecording. wonderfully mixed.

[Charlie]

Well, without comparison everything loses it's meaning. If, through some strange and cruel circumstances, the only music you heard your entire life was the music of N-Sync and The Spice Girls, I wager you'd think it pretty good, when really, compared to other music, it's fucking rubbish and an insult to sound waves. Similarly, the new Younger Brother album doesn't stand out compared to Si and Benji's previous work. It's rather lacklustre.

 

6/10 for me. Disappointing.

[amphiton]

Well, without comparison everything loses it's meaning. If, through some strange and cruel circumstances, the only music you heard your entire life was the music of N-Sync and The Spice Girls, I wager you'd think it pretty good, when really, compared to other music, it's fucking rubbish and an insult to sound waves. Similarly, the new Younger Brother album doesn't stand out compared to Si and Benji's previous work. It's rather lacklustre.

 

6/10 for me. Disappointing.

So you're gonna hate Simon "God" Posford from now on?

[Charlie]

No way, mister. What a crazy suggestion. Even the Gods should be forgiven.

[advance]

I like this album.

 

I really really love Happy Pills and I Am A Freak, I've heard these tracks a number of times each day the past two weeks.

I fall asleep with Happy Pills in the background. When I come home, I sit down in front of my audio system and play that track,

without moving. Just listening.

 

I dislike the second track in the album, though.

 

I haven't heard the rest of the track enough to recognize them, so I'll spare you more of my opinions.

[Sideffect...]

I have listened to it more than 5 times now...

it's good, it reminds me more of the old sound, the more psychedelic trance sound just like it was imo with the first younger brother album....

 

spirals are well done, not that strong but nice work

[Otto Matta]

I think it's an okay album. I thought I'd give Posford and Benji another try after liking one or two things from the first Younger Brother album. A lot of this is reminiscent of Are You Shpongled?, but without what I thought was a certain amount of mystery and surprise that album had. The production and technical subtlety of The Last Days of Gravity is admittedly exquisite, but like most of Posford's stuff, in my opinion, it lacks emotional subtlety, not to mention profundity or elegance. There are some decent hooks here and there, and some stuff that would make a technician cream himself, but there's nothing that really makes me want to keep listening to it for purely emotional reasons, which is what I listen to chilled music for.

 

That said, with all the technical intricacy going on, I bet smoking some stiff drugs would once again really help this one blossom. Meanwhile, unless the P-man somehow gains a knack for effective stylization, I'm through. Again.

[Jon Cocco]

YOUNGER BROTHER - THE LAST DAYS OF GRAVITY

2007

TWISTED

 

 

1. Happy Pills - B+

2. All I Want - B

3. Elephant Machine - B

4. Your Friends Are Scary - B

5. I Am A Freak - A-

6. Ribbon On A Branch - B

7. Sleepwalker Part 1 - B-

8. Sleepwalker Part 2 - B

9. Psychic Gibbon - A

 

 

The Last Days of Gravity has a very different sound and feel from the first one. The debut was more edgy, psychedelic. This is more upbeat and euphoric, and it walks a fine line in between darkness and light more than once.

 

1. Happy Pills really sets the 60's "love, drugs, and good times" mood this group is going for. It's animated and cheerful. I think this is a great song.

 

2. All I Want is less strong than the opening. It's gentle and non-threatening. This reminds me of what a chill, downtempo cowboy song is if I ever heard one. It seems to have a western influence (twang sound) whether it's aware of it or not. It has a very catchy and creatively mixed, skipping, squeeking lead melody. The song is all the more unique and memorable with it. The gentle voices give it a nice touch too. The overall song isn't as powerful; it's more subtle. Anytime I think "howdi doody" while listening to Younger Brother it may not be the coolest thing. I prefer their more beautiful or edgy work. Nonetheless, this is a refreshing, original track well done and placed between the the previous, more driven number and the one that follows.

 

3. Elephant Machine is my favorite track on the album so far. It's a very strong, aggressive, and mysterious, and fairly dark piece of work. The voice samples take some of the edge [advantage] away from its darkess (as opposed to the voice samples in track 3 from the debut, that was more effective dark-wise) but they're cleverly mixed; playing to the music, literally. But it makes no sense! Nevertheless, this song really stands out.

 

4. Your Friends Are Scary is very different but similar to the second song in that it's calm and peaceful. I understand and appreciate that these softer songs are placed in between the more aggressive ones. However the softer tracks generally stand out less, they're less captivating than the others. I enjoy the more contemplative approach to this song, which sounds more euphoric, romantic as it progresses. It's just nothing reviting to me. I feel like it had a chance to develop into something intoxicating.

 

5. I Am A Freak is a great return to that more aggressive, (darker) omnious at times rhythm and style I enjoy so much by Younger Brother. The only thing I don't care for is the "I am a freak. I am unique" opening samples which repeatedly take place. They're tacky. Cheesy. Unnecessary. However once they're are gone the song escapes into a wonderful, driving, psy and trance sensation. I don't mind the beginning gripe so much once it ends in the beginning but does put a scratch upon an otherwise kickass vehicle. This is one of the best songs on the album.

 

6. Ribbon On A Branch involves what sounds like the voice of Maynard James Keenan of "Tool," if he lended his voice talent here. Turns out it isn't him but it's a very well done song. It's floating and gentle, and the altered voices compliment it. This sounds like what it would sound like if TOOL did downtempo! It has the potential to really attract a wider audiance like candy if marketed correctly. Other than the downtempo musical angle, the voice work seems as if it's ripped off Tool. I like Tool and I enjoy this song, original sounding or not. Probably not. But it's catchy. They can get away with one track like this here. It's rather nice and harmless I feel.

 

7. Sleepwalker Part 1 may be the most uninteresting, mediocre sounding piece I've heard from Younger Brother to date. I don't know how much credit it deserves for being unique, different. It has a nice melody that rises up as the song progresses coupled by few others. However these never manage to lift the song up into heaven or anything all that great or even good in my opinion. A rather beautiful combination of sustained, mixed melodies swirl together during the second half of the track, briefly. It's great work, and more of these wonderful flavors would have been appreciated, or at least more catchy [stronger] build up to a short moment of musical bliss or freedom sound. Lastly, the song is pretty short (6 min) but I'm glad they ended it here if they had nothing better to continue it with.

 

8. Sleepwalker Part 2 seems like that continuation I just mentioned above. It has far more energy. It's actually danceable. Maybe these were both one track at one point, separated to enhance the track listing. I'm glad they're two tracks. It's a fairly good song I suppose; more catchy than the last, but nothing enchanting, super, or what I can call great.

 

9. Psychic Gibbon may be the most beautiful 2007 song I've heard all year, to date. This is a big reason why I love this group. Because they know how to make a song that impresses, full of passion. I love work that moves me emotionally. What this song accomplishes, the rest of the album seldom achieves, and that is to really affect me emotionally.

 

 

In conclusion, this may not be the masterpiece some of us were hoping for. It's different and creative, cleverly mixed, and at times wonderful sounding. The Last Days Of Gravity is inspired by the colorful, happy, tripping days of Pink Floyd and Woodstock, brought up-to-date through the Downtempo genre. There are also some of those magical touches and moments that seem so rare in music now days, especially present in the emotive, final number, Psychic Gibbon. Several songs here aren't great in my opinion, but for the most part I find that even the less capturing pieces compliment the other songs; they tell another important chapter to the wonderful story. More work could have gone into making one or two stronger tracks, but the less stand-out tracks aren't bad per say; I expected more with few songs present. The first Younger Brother album was better, in my opinion. It was more fine tuned, and the songs were more powerful and gripping to me. I.e: Track 3 for starters. Nonetheless, these two artists have created another strong release. Such joy may have been a masterpiece with several stronger songs and magic moments, and if the overall package was as musically riveting emotionally, as it is mixed and mastered on a technical level. Overall this is one of the most solid releases of 2007. It's nothing spectacular as a whole, but a friendly, solid [good] follow-up to a cult-gem some refer to by name as "A Flock of Bleeps".

 

 

Favorite tracks: 1, 3, 5, 6, 9.

 

 

B+

 

 

 

SAMPLES

 

http://www.saikosounds.com/english/display...ase.asp?id=6884

 

http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/twi/twi1cd032.html

[Aeros]

I'm extremely pleased with this CD. Its a delightful pandora of ever morphing sound, I really can hear simon posford's production shine and consider it some of his best work. Never is a beat dropped and this plethora of undulating sound is richly forged into every instrument, in my opinion that is where much of the flavor lays.

 

The other thing I see is that many people are misunderstanding the music, this like all posford's previous work is made for a full listening experience. Start from the beginning and it takes you through a full well balanced journey of emotion. There is no filler, each track serves as a chapter in the story.

 

I've listened to the album end to end 10 times now and each time I find it just as enjoyable as the last. Tracks like Happy Pills and Ribbon on a Branch are exhilarating tracks and I really feel the duo has accomplished their goal of bringing the psy vibe to a band with these tracks.

 

People are overlooking this music for not sounding like what they've heard before, but when have you heard a release from this artist that sounds like a re-hash of what he's already done before?

 

8.5/10

[Nurbs]

Top notch!!! Simply amazing

[unikos]

i've written on another thread i really loved it and saw this could become a future classic.

now that some time has passed and a few more listens later... i must take back some of that praise.

 

its a very good album..

just the fact that the guys are producing this kind of sound (and not something like y.b.1) is making me smile, for my own reasons.

 

although i ve listened to this at least 15 times i havent taken the time to really focus on individual tracks. which doesnt mean its forgetable, rather the whole thing is very listenable.. at least for me.. i love the general mood (and could i not like it since its inspired by dsotm, etc musical moods that i adore?)

 

what will be very interesting is seing y b live somewhere.. in a greek mag interview they said they wouldnt say no if someone asked them to play over here.. lets see

the 2 "live rehearsals" and some footage from a british gig on youtube are nice.. the live is surely not the best event you'll see, but must be worth it, at least..

 

 

charlie i m surprised you dont like it.. i mean sure compared to hallucinogen for example this will have less impact on our lives, etc but its not directly comparable to the guys' previous works.. i liked it because its nice (not superb) and different, not because its as good or better than some other album from simon or benji..

[abasio]

I've only given this 3 listens so far (only had it 12 hours & I had to sleep ) so no in depth review yet but I have to say I like this a lot more than the first YB album which after many years I still don't find engaging at all after the opening track.

This album is a bit cheesier, like the way IM went but much much much much much much.........much much better! I think my brother would like this & he's more into pop & pop trance but this is still good psychedelic music, just more accessible to non psy heads too.

My favourite tracks so far are Happy Pills & Psychic Gibbon.

More over this is not like everything else being released so it's guaranteed a lot of play time over here

I wasn't sure about this one before, I didn't like the first album so much & people were saying this was not as good. But this fits my taste so much more & most tracks have got me engaged straight away!

I'm looking forward to writing an in depth review of this later!

 

[traveller]

I wish they'd release vocal mixes of all the tracks

[Goa Bill]

It's really an amazing piece of work that for reason I can't bother to hear anything but "I am a Freak" at the moment

[abasio]

Younger Brother

The Last Days of Gravity

Twisted Records

2007

 

Tracklist

 

1 Happy Pills (8:48)

2 All I Want (9:04)

3 Elephant Machine (6:19)

4 Your Friends Are Scary (6:38)

5 I Am A Freak (8:58)

6 Ribbon On A Branch (7:46)

7 Sleepwalker Part One (6:16)

8 Sleepwalker Part Two (5:59)

9 Psychic Gibbon (7:30)

 

Well, I didn't really like the first younger brother album. There was nothing in it that grabbed my attention. People described it as halfway between Hallucinogen & Shpongle but all I got from it was Simon Posford's disappointing recent output, boring with little real psychedelica just pseudo psy for kids. So my hope for this one were not too high, to be honest I've no idea why I bought it but I'm glad I did. This is more interesting than flock of crap

but that's not saying much. There's some psychedelia but I'm surprised these two guys couldn't do better. Then again, in my opinion they haven't made much decent stuff in the last 10 years (except Prometheus' chilled stuff). This has some nice moments but too much of it sounds like rehashed stuff from yesteryear & I for one was not impressed.

 

 

1 Happy Pills

What a great start. A nice chilled out melodic piece dripping with lovely psychedelic nuances. The beats are big but relaxed. Lots of space to move. The more intricate sub beats are nicer & an Indian melody gives way to a really nice 60's lounge melody. The whole track has the feel of a 60's smokers lounge just not crap. Good & well produced. Unfortunately I think they started the album to well & it might be all downhill from here.

 

2 All I Want

Only the second track & it's started. A sample that really doesn't need to be there. Simon Posford's trade mark stamp is crap samples & right from the start of this we have one. Something about Paranoiacs but it's something that probably sound pretty cool when on acid or something but after a few sober listens just sounds annoyingly childish. The track itself is quite good. The singing is competent if not great & again it gives the atmosphere of 60's rock just more modern.

 

3 Elephant Machine

Round & round, round & round the samples goes, at first I thought this was the shittiest thing I had ever heard. Ultra cheesy, samples that don't really add much & basically pretty much a pop track from yesteryear given a new coat of paint. But it grew on me, there are some nice touches in there. I think this fills the desire for pop music I have after starving myself of anything mainstream.

Good pop!

 

4 Your Friends Are Scary

Nice start kind of ambientish then with a melody thatcould be played on anything electronic. Good sounds that feel like they are building to something. The chords played give a melancholic feel which is continued with the guitars & odd psychedelic rain. It slowly builds a bit of energy but never does anything with it

 

5 I Am A Freak

This track would be nice if it didn't repeat the sample I am a freak I am uniqueso much. The rest of the track is really good. Nice soft trippy weirdness with enough melody & structure to keep me happy but that crap sample (I guess Simon wanted that) fucks it all up. Even the use of guitars is great, the structure's great, the beats are nice & crunchy too. I think my memory of this track is worse than it actually is because I always remember the shit samples but they are not there that much, just the beginning and the end so the middle is pretty good.

 

6 Ribbon On A Branch

What on Earth is this? Folk rock? For your average EDM listener this may be out there & innovative but for someone brought up on folk this is tired old stuff. It's not bad but still, there is nothing innovative about this, it's just introducing old folk music to new people in a less scary way. Fair enough I suppose but there is better stuff than this released all through the 60's. This reminds me of the pop covers in th 1990's when every song that sounded half decent was a cover from the 60's. I wouldn't be surprised if this was too.

 

7 Sleepwalker Part One

This is very average mid BPM psytrance with a few influences from a few years ago. There is nothing really to report, nothing particularly good & nothing horrible. Pretty Pedestrian stuff.

 

8 Sleepwalker Part Two

So why was this worth 2 tracks? Oh it wasn't. Once again this is okay I have no real problem with it but after it's over I can never remember it of have the desire to listen to it again. Dull! Is this really the best they could do?

 

9 Psychic Gibbon

Finally a great track. After the greatness of the first track then the disappointment that followed I wasn't expecting this.

This is exactly what I would have liked the whole album to be. Interesting & psychedelic without relying on crap samples from past movies. Instead it relies on melodies & structure. It builds it's way up to the vocal which (is not a sample) fits in naturally to the track. Very good stuff, the sort of track I replay after it's finished.

 

 

Well, this album is not that good I'm afraid. Typical posford stuff. I wish Benji had put his foot down & said "NO Simon! There will be no crap samples from the TV show you watched last night, it just doesn't go" but he didn't. The samples ruin most of the tracks they are in. and I have no idea what the idea with the sleepwalkers are. Most of this album seems like it's going to reach a wider audience. It seems they have gone the same way as Infected Mushroom but without the horrible vocals from Dudev people haven't got the same scorn. Okay it's a little better done than IM did but still, it's the same direction.

 

Happy pills & Psychic Gibbon are both fantastic tunes. The rest are not so good & sleepwalker 1 & 2 is a yawn fest.

[Jon Cocco]

Nice review abasio. I agree the samples were completely unnecessary in I Am A Freak. II'm glad various others agree. At least the "I Am A Freak" samples are in the beginning and don't return once gone. Musically I think the song is great, one of the albums top 3 songs.

 

In follow-up to my review..

 

If one asked me what defines greatness and excellence on the album. The opening track is a cherry, a totally drug and happiness-influenced piece of joy. I would include tracks 3 and 5 respectfully. Cut out those tacky voice samples from the opening of I Am a Freak to say the least. I don't know what they were thinking but I don't like it. The round-and-round vocals on Elephant Machine have grown on me in a poppish type of way. But it does alter the flow of the album. I can't help but think how much more edgy and effective dark-wise Elephant Machine would have without the poppish influence. Little details, for better or worse go a long way when it comes to mood. The samples in Elephant Machine are good for pop influence psy/downtempo anyway. I think they're catchy, playful here, and unique to an extent. However if Simon and company were trying to maintain a great dark edge throughtout that track, they failed miserably. Naturally I don't think too dark was the effect they were going for. I just want to be the one to put that observation out there.

 

Psychic Gibbon is the prettiest, most beautiful 2007 song I've heard all year. I would have loved to see more excellent and superb tracks on this album, but at the very least I find the album good or great. These artists really have the potential to make one of the best albums ever made if they go all out. They can make a magical mastepiece track-for-track. That would be amazing!!!!! A song like Psychic Gibbon is like a dream come true. I love it and the mood it puts me in.

[rino]

Nice review abasio. I agree the samples were completely unnecessary in Freak on A Leash.

Isn't that a nu-metal track by Korn?

If so, I don't think it has samples

[advance]

Jon means "I Am A Freak".

 

I totally agree with what Jon said - the poppish influences annoy me as well. I hate the vocals on the second track, I think the "I Am A Freak" vocals are pointless, the "go round and round" are somewhat okay but also rather meaningless... I think the entire album could've done way more being only instrumental. Maybe we'll have an "instrumental mix"?

 

However, I somewhat disagree with Abasio. Most of the review is correct, in my opinion: especially the yawn fest that is Sleepwalker. Track 2 is "modernized" Pink Floyd. I don't know why you say that track 3 is pop - well, I can see some Air influences.. or similar music. But it isn't pop, and it's a good track. Track 4 reminds me of Trentemoller... and it's very well done. Track 5... well, an awesome track save the stupid samples. Track 6 sounds like Porcupine Tree. It's a great song, in my opinion, and it especially shines in the last 60 seconds, after the buildup that is changed into the ending melody. Sleepwalker part 1 is pointless. Part 2 has some better parts. It's a bit progressive. Psychic gibbon... awesome. Not much more can be said... in the end, it comes down to a very listenable album - even including Sleepwalker. It's very ambient, doesn't "attack" your senses (except for the I Am A Freak samples), and just flows. I've heard this album dozens of times since I've got it and it just doesn't get old, since every listen is almost brand new. I need to focus to figure out what's going on. I like this.

 

This isn't a classic to remember, but it is a great album, one of the best of 2007. I thoroughly love it.