X-Ray Youth - What Happened To You?
Alternative/Alt. Rock, Metal, Folk
Florida, United States
Overall Impression: Kicking in the front door with a fully fuzzed-out Punk Rock sound, X-Ray Youth calls out from the not-too-distant past to ask, "What Happened to You?"! Heavy impacts herald the start of the brief and blistering ride, each chord landing like a powerhouse punch before the progression takes off at breakneck speed - instrumentally evoking the heart and soul of a young and infectiously enthusiastic Punk Rock trio beneath a coolly collected vocal performance from front man Johnny Void.
Strongest Point(s): Musically speaking, X-Ray Youth managed to capture a pivotal Punk Rock feel during a rapidly transitional time in their own lives - and it's evident. Blending the passionate distortion and raw energy of their high-strung instrumental work with a heartfelt but not overblown vocal delivery mirrors well the sense of dissipating youth and accumulating responsibility of oncoming adulthood - artfully allowing Derrick Haggerty's rapid-fire drums and Ryan Johansen's foundational bass work to support and not obstruct the song's then-prescient lyrical content. In a moment of immortalized defiance, the same mind that produced the track's comparably composed vocal qualities unleashes a frantic, frenetic guitar solo with enough color and conviction to leave a life-long impression!
Target Audience Appeal: Captured in the distant dimension of 1998 and remastered in 2020, "What Happened to You?" offers listeners an authentic, ageless slice of instrumental enthusiasm imbued with the perspective of one who knows what's coming and can't seem to stop it. Fans of the greater Punk Rock canon will find X-Ray Youth's brief body of work to be a brilliant piece of the puzzle, bridging the gap between prototypical Punk and the more commercially polished Pop Punk sound with ineffable sincerity and a heart of pure sonic gold
Artist target suggestions: Screaming Trees, Green Day, Foo Fighters, blink-182, My Chemical Romance, The Offspring, Weezer, Billy Talent, Blind Melon, Streetlight Manifesto, Heavens, The Wonder Years, The White Stripes, Bikini Kill, Against Me!, Eve 6, Jawbreaker, Bad Religion
Be sure to check out the rad music video from X-Ray Youth of their song What Happened To You? X-Ray Youth - What Happened To You? (Official Music Video)
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About the Reviewer:
Jon Wright is a trained multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and music educator with nearly twenty years of experience in the field. Working with musicians and their individual sounds is his passion and profession, and he strives to interact with and understand every aspect of the production process - from theory and songwriting to recording and mastering. He continues to teach students of all ages and is currently collaborating with artists in a wide variety of genres.