Monday, April 5, 2010

Meet new pop artists Yu!

If you haven’t yet discovered the power indie pop joy of the teenage Mexican sensation that is YU! then welcome to an amazing new sonic experience. Or, as the band might say: welcome to the family.

The band might have only four members, but they are supported by a dedicated following, known collectively as the YU! Family. And it is this family – a network of friends and relations – that saw YU! overcome apparently insurmountable odds to finally release a debut album.

One listen to ‘Sobredosis de Amor’ (Love Overdose) and you’ll be eternally grateful that they managed it.

The album, made by teenage prodigies and friends Richie, Danny, Karla and Luis, is an original mixture of original songs, sung in both Spanish and English, and carefully selected covers by the likes of Nelson Brothers and Natural, as well as Donna Lewis’s ‘I Love You Always Forever’.
The sound is one of youth and optimism, but many of YU’s songs are inspired by adversity. There is a dark edge to ‘Daria Todo’, ‘Elevador’ and the album’s title track. All deal with the subject of addiction, something all too familiar to young people in Mexico.

But despite some of the darker subject matter, and despite the band nearly collapsing after being duped by an unscrupulous con artist posing as a producer, the unbridled joy with which the quartet make music shines through.

This is pop music, and as such it is music that will bring a smile to your face and make you dance. But it is also very personal music, having been penned, produced and performed only by the four teens.

Furthermore, while the record has an international appeal, it is still very Mexican – with all the joie de vivre and emotion that encompasses the great country as a whole.

YU! is the sound of four young people creating something truly special. It is the sound of a country discovering a new way to play music, and it is the sound that you are likely to be singing all to all summer long.

‘Sobredosis de Amor’ is available now from CD Baby and iTunes. And look out for more free releases from the band’s website soon – check them out at www.somosyu.com.

No comments: