The Subways: Billy Lunn (vocals, guitar); Charlotte Cooper (vocals, bass guitar); Josh Morgan (drums).
Recording information: Elevator Studios, Liverpool, England (2005).
England's the Subways mine the indie punk-pop sound as well as any of their mid-2000s contemporaries. The trio--composed of brothers Billy Lunn (guitar/vocals) and Josh Morgan (drums), with childhood friend Charlotte Cooper on bass--marry a brash, punk-inspired edge with melodic hooks on their 2006 debut YOUNG FOR ETERNITY.
The album's title is appropriate for encapsulating tunes such as "Rock & Roll Queen" and "Oh Yeah," which telegraph the feeling of being a 17-year-old rock & roller with their crunching riffs and thunderous rhythms. But the Subways balance their reckless abandon with a keen sense of melody, as heard on the retro-flavored, acoustic guitar-based "Mary." In fact, much of YOUNG FOR ETERNITY sounds like a catalogue of youth trends from the '60s, '70s, and '90s--with sunshine pop, glam, punk, grunge, and garage revival all blended into one exuberant package.
What the critics say...
Rolling Stone (p.62) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "At their best moments, particularly when Cooper takes the mike, the Subways threaten the Arctic Monkey's key position for the hottest band out of the U.K."
Entertainment Weekly (p.76) - "[I]ts big, poppy sound reveals an esteem for every important U.K. band from the Sex Pistols to Oasis..." -- Grade: B-
