East India Youth - Total Strife Forever (Album Review)
Wednesday, 15 January 2014
Written by Gavin Rees
There are two competing currents running through ‘Total Strife Forever’, the debut from William Doyle as East India Youth. But rather than dragging the album down, they work alongside one another, creating a thematic anchor for intriguing stylistic walkabouts.
The record’s title may be a throwaway pun, but it’s also a handy catch-all for the sombre mixture of glitchy electro-pop and glutinous instrumentals that make it up. ‘Total Strife Forever’ is a collection born of stress and anxiety and, regardless of the vehicles chosen by Doyle, that’s strikingly apparent.
But, beneath the dense structure of Glitter Recession, or nestled in the molten feedback at the heart of Total Strife Forever 1 - the first of four title tracks - there’s the odd glimmer of hope.
Doyle’s catch-and-release use of dynamics allows for several such blasts of cathartic noise, while the fidgety club beat that propels Hinterland offers an unsettling counterpoint, indulging in a further step towards paranoia rather than offering a way out.
At the centre of ‘Total Strife Forever’ is Heaven, How Long, a lush, Ultravox-inspired slice of electronica that wanders through the album’s biggest melody and into similar territory, where the pop edges are quickly worn away to reveal a relentless, Duracell heart beneath.
The dream pop of Dripping Down is perhaps the clearest hint at Doyle’s past life as an indie singer, with the Fourfathers, and ties together the more traditional aspects of his songwriting prior to Hinterland’s arrival. On Looking For Someone, he offers: “Think I feel nothing, you don’t know how wrong you are.”
‘Total Strife Forever’ is an auspicious start, but one that appears to represent only part of East India Youth’s story. The next chapter will be intriguing.
Wed January 29 2014 - SHEFFIELD Cathedral
Thu January 30 2014 - MANCHESTER Gullivers
Fri January 31 2014 - GLASGOW King Tuts Wah Wah Hut
Sat February 01 2014 - LIVERPOOL Korova, Liverpool
Tue February 04 2014 - BRISTOL Louisiana
Thu February 06 2014 - LONDON Lexington
Fri February 07 2014 - BRIGHTON Green Door Store
We don't run any advertising! Our editorial content is solely funded by lovely people like yourself using Stereoboard's listings when buying tickets for live events. To keep supporting us, next time you're looking for concert, festival, sport or theatre tickets, please search for "Stereoboard". It costs you nothing, you may find a better price than the usual outlets, and save yourself from waiting in an endless queue on Friday mornings as we list ALL available sellers!
