REVIEW: Young Buffalo – Self-titled EP

Artist: Young Buffalo
Album: Young Buffalo EP

If all of the pens in my house ran dry and I could only scratch one word to describe Young Buffalo, persnickety would be the word I would scribble down. This isn’t actually because the band is persnickety. The words flawless, epic, catching, hipster and dance-hall all seem to describe the band more effectively. However, since I really like the word persnickety, in a pen drought, I’m going with that.

However, due to the inventions of modern wonders like computers and the internet, my word limit will know no bounds and my sentence structure will flow like drunken conversation at the corner bar.

But that is enough about me. Let’s talk for a minute about you.

You should be listening to Young Buffalo.

Don’t feel bad if you aren’t, I wasn’t. I too, had missed the memo on this band completely. I snagged them as part of bundle deal in order to review the new Green Day album. At the end of the day, Young Buffalo turned out to be the better end of that bargain.

With the combination of vintage swagger and straight forward structure, the band’s self-titled EP proves that glitter and tech tricks aren’t always a vital element in world exposure. Take for example the album’s closing track “Upstairs;” Free of frills, the track is placed perfectly to sneak slowly into your soul and take residence in your head. The structures are as addicting as sweets to a diabetic. Listeners will find themselves whistling the infectious guitar hooks hours after the EP has subsided. Placed flawlessly under the backwoods, alt-country vocals this standout track demands attention. More importantly however is the fact that the attention is actually deserved.

This trend is indicative of the album as a whole. Aspects of each track concurs any inability for a listener to put up walls. “Prize” possesses calm, 1980’s Breakfast Club qualities that could make M83 swoon. “Hold Me Back” takes a dance-like, Vampire Weekend approach to songwriting, shifting and twitching through the three and a half minute energy burst. “Natural Boy”, however, creates its own indie-pop township governed by the likes of James Mercer. With colorful oh’s fluttering throughout the piece, the song sets an almost impossible standard of happiness (audio-wise at least) matched only by boxes of kittens and tiny baby ducks.

Yeah, I said it. Baby ducks.

As a whole, Young Buffalo’s self-titled EP is as close to flawless as extended plays come. If the preview is any indication of material to come from these very young Votiv pups, I expect world takeover and international success. However, they’ve set the bar pretty high for themselves. Look for this cut to remain lingering in my player for chunks of time and for the release to appear in my best of 2012 list.

SCORE: 9/10
Review written by: Joshua Hammond

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