McFly : Young Dumb Thrills Review

McFly is a pop-rock band with seven UK number-one singles, five top-ten albums, six sell-out tours, and ten million records sold worldwide. The band is one of the most significant British pop acts of the twenty-first century. Since hitting the big time as the youngest band ever to have a debut album go straight to number one — beating The Beatles’ long-standing record. Now, Tom, Danny, Dougie, and Harry are back with their first studio album since Above the Noise hit in 2010. The new album is called. Young Dumb Thrills and features the brand-new singles “Happiness,” “Growing Up,” and “Tonight is the Night.”

“Happiness” takes us on a seventies disco-inspired journey with a today’s melody; this is an earworm from start to finish. The horns and synths are nostalgic without being ‘cheesy.’ The singing is robust, and each verse is sung by another member. The overall sound is modern enough to not come across as disco remembered-40-years-later. The sounds are tasteful, and the programming combined with live instruments gives the tune a sonic sincerity.

“Growing Up (feat. Mark Hoppus)” is in a style that fits McFly the beat, and that is peppy pop-rock. With a fuzzy, spanky guitar driving the way, McFly sends the energy, and the effects on the vocals add to the character of the song. There is a bite and power to this track that some of the other songs lack. The ruckus drums and luxuriant amount of character that Hoppus adds that makes this track one of the best on the album.

Young Dumb Thrills occupies a sweet spot at the intersection of pop, punk, disco, and pop-rock. The UK-based artist has long sported the ability to sticker their lyrics with catchy melodies, and on this outing, it is clear that that skill continues to grow and evolve.

McFly: Website