Album Review: Whenyoung, Paragon Songs

Limerick couple Aoife Power and Andrew Flood sculpted the beautiful Paragon Songs in a cottage in Co. Clare before being finessed on the east coast of England on a road aptly named Paragon Street. The coming-of-age opus, featuring some of their best work yet, is all about learning tough lessons as you heal from past mistakes.

Opening with album highlight ‘Shame Train’, which slightly echoes Fontaines D.C.’s Dogrel track ‘Too Real’, alt-rock twinges layer the trauma-focused single. Shrugging off pressure to conform, Power learns to embrace self-respect on this thrillingly paced anthem. “The one and only place that I’m going now is brighter,” Aoife insists with her ethereal, urgent vocals. Hard to disagree.

Elsewhere, eerie single ‘The Laundress’ injects captivating electronics, with Power’s knack for conjuring stark imagery adding a melancholic, mythological element. Intense, swirling beats flesh out ‘Rubiks Cube’ before ‘Ghost’ and ‘A Little Piece Of Heaven’ progress their broader, fresh sound. A pop diorama about childhood and family ties, ‘A Little Piece…’ is a fantastic introduction to the new Whenyoung. ‘Even More’ and ‘Shed My Skin’ dive into vulnerability in love, while edgy indie gems ‘Unchained’ and ‘Gan Ainm’ are fellow fierce declarations of independence.

‘Gan Ainm’ reflects on how youth speeds past in the rearview mirror: “I was just a teenager in my bedroom trying to sound like Joni Mitchell with this accent.” With Flood and Power’s united voices married by euphoric strings and a heavy drum beat that feels like a beating heart, it completes triumphant return.

Listen: 'Shame Train’
Score: 8.5/10

Out now, self-released.

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