Blue Youth - Defeatist

Labels: Grind Central Records/The Ghost Is Clear Records/Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 15 Apr 2025

Tracklist:

1. Defeatist

2. T.K.Y.I.T.H.Y

3. Patient Patient

4. Lost, Spinning In Time

5. Modern Lover

6. Hell Is Empty

7. Redacted

8. JLB

9. Two Faces

10. These Hands

Canadian noise-rock/post-hardcore/punk band Blue Youth released their newest album Defeatist last month. It comes almost seven years on from their previous album Dead Forever. We're honestly being truly spoiled this year with new releases, including from bands that seemed forever dormant. I could others that I'm excited about but I don't want to draw attention away from this album. I'm hoping that the trio's sound still features the catchy rock/noise-rock sensibilities of previous releases.

I’m writing this in a very sleep-deprived state. My sleep pattern has been all over the place for the past few days and I swear (to whatever non-religious, free-thinking idol) that my neighbours aren’t helping by slamming every door they have at lest twice it seems. I’m just venting though and it’s distracting me from another banger of an album. Seeing both the album/song title ‘Defeatist’ instantly makes me think of Hatebreed, but that’s just weird brain stuff as Blue Youth are a world away sound and attitude-wise. 

Yes, they’re heavy but in a discordant/noisy way, as opposed to a youth crew/tough guy hardcore way (if you get what I mean). ‘Defeatist’ is a slow burner to start, with a mix of semi-clean vox/harsh screams, off-kilter instrumentation and odd melodic/dissonant guitar/bass. I say odd because I don’t really know how else to describe it. As openers go it definitely grabs the attention.

’T.K.Y.I.T.H.Y.’ sees Blue Youth heading in the opposite direction and delivering some excellent and genuine noise-rock that conjures up a whole mix of different bands, whom I’ve probably compared them to in previous reviews. I’m thinking of the likes of The Hives, The Bronx, Refused and also Franz Ferdinand (for their melody not their penchant for indie/post-punk). Comparing bands to other bands isn’t going to win me any awards I know, as it’s all subjective.

There’s a certain guitar sound that really hits the spot during ‘Patient Patient’ and I’m not sure why it does. Maybe it’s because I’ve spent too long in my late teens/early 20’s listening to some of Blue Youth’s compatriots. This song does sound way more rooted in post-hardcore and could even be a slight nod to nu-metal of old, maybe?. Sorry, the nu-metal reference was meant in the best way as this song it genuinely killer!

Damn, I might have to trim this review back a bit as I’m already four paragraphs deep and only three songs in! ‘Lost, Spinning In Time’ is a quick one though, with minimalist guitar, bass and drums meaning that it acts as a kind of instrumental/interlude leading into ‘Modern Lover’, which uses more noise elements alongside it’s danceable rock. If ever there was a song that highlighted Blue Youth’s breadth of song-writing delivery; this is it.

Another instrumental song is ‘Hell Is Empty’, which has a subtle hint of groove and (almost) stoner too it. Again it’s a short one but it’s filled with psych, which spills over into ‘Redacted’. Blue Youth occasionally turn towards weirder riffs on Defeatist and that’s no bad thing at all, especially when standing up alongside their noisier post-hardcore. Everything just fits together perfectly.

‘JLB’ gives off ambient, slightly unnerving vibes as it ushers in the closing section of the album. It’s gentle guitar fades and gives way to ‘Two Faces’ with an instantly more jarring demeanour. Blue Youth once again find their true loud pedal. Exactly on the money at three minutes, it’s a mainstream radio station’s/record label’s dream. Secretly, I hope they don’t get sucked up into that vacuum (though they deserve any and all success that comes their way!).

Album closer ‘These Hands’ sounds like a Brit-rock/pop song at times, but only as it kicks off (and probably only in my head!) as it’s a lot harder and heavier later on. It carries on in that heavier vein for a bit before dropping into a slightly introspective mid-section that then builds in layers again, getting louder right up to the inevitable end. 

As I reflect on listening to this album in it’s entirety, I have no regrets about the eight paragraphs above. Blue Youth have come back with an album that’s beyond excellent and beyond expectation. If that’s not worth talking about then I give up.

You can stream and purchase Defeatist digitally from Blue Youth below:-

The Grind Central Records website doesn't seem to be working properly currently, but you can grab physical copies of the album from the labels below:-

The Ghost Is Clear Records - https://theghostisclearrecords.limitedrun.com/products/866551-blue-youth-defeatist

Zegema Beach Records CAN/INTL - http://www.zegemabeachrecords.com/zegema-beach-releases/defeatist / USA - https://zbrusa.com/collections/zbr-releases/products/defeatist

Blue Youth - https://www.facebook.com/blueyouthsk

Grind Central Records - https://www.facebook.com/grindcentralrecords

The Ghost Is Clear Records - https://www.facebook.com/TGICRECS

Zegema Beach Records - https://www.facebook.com/zegemabeachrecords

Blue Youth - Dead Forever

Labels: Grind Central Records/Santapogue Media/Suspended Soul Tapes And Records/Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Vinyl/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 08 Jun 2018

Tracklist:

1. Black Lung

2. Delusional//Unapologetic

3. Water Well

4. So Seizure

5. (The Worst Of It Is) You

6. Pause For Death

7. Succubus

8. Dead Forever

Adulting constantly gets in the way of good things! One such thing is time I'd set aside to relax with some great, heavy noise from Canada's Blue Youth. Bloody household appliances! Calm is restored though and there's still plenty of time for me to dive into the band's 2018 album Dead Forever as part of my ongoing ZBR roster review series. 

Blue Youth aren't active currently and Dead Forever makes up their second only physical release, having been pressed on vinyl by all of the above mentioned labels as well as being pressed on tape by Grind Central Records. 

The time for noisy punk/rock has come and hearing the opening bars of ‘Black Lung’ is the midweek wake-up call I needed. Stylistically, it’s difficult to place Blue Youth with their mix of clean vocals, euphoric screams and up-tempo instrumentation. I guess at a push I’d liken it to Australia’s Jet crossed with Sweden’s The Hives and countrymen Cancer Bats. 

One thing I love doing is reading Bandcamp’s recommended bands at the bottom of the page when listening. Blue Youth’s page recommends Whores, Chat Pile, Twin Drugs amongst others, which is pretty good company especially when you consider how good the bass-heavy ‘Delusional//Unapologetic’ is. There’s a bit of sasscore later on as well, which turns into something heavier towards the song’s close.

‘Water Well’ is an atmospheric short-player that curtails some of the album’s early momentum a little bit. I think these songs do play their part on records but can sometimes be a bit out of place. Here it make sense as it leads brilliantly into ‘So Secure’ and with it, another (maybe poorly placed) comparison. That comparison is Turnstile, purely based on the key of the clean vocals that adorn it. I’m probably way off the mark again but hey ho, it’s great all the same.

The stirring piano that opens up ‘(The Worst Of It Is) You’ belies what is a gloriously (and seemingly) mid-paced take on garage-punk/rock. It’s anthemic all around. How Blue Youth isn’t bigger I’ll never know! You might think that ‘Pause For Death’ is an ominous song title, and I guess it does lend itself to a song that’s equally as dark, but it also draws you in further than you were expecting. 

The devilish ‘Succubus’ is a song of many parts, from raging screamo to off-kilter progression and driving rock. The fact that it ends on a dime with no notice only adds to it’s allure and before you know it you’re being greeted by the album’s title-track ‘Dead Forever’, which rounds things out with Blue Youth diving back into their noisy/rocking best.

Dead Forever is over far too quickly. It completely puts to shame those albums that are twice as long. Blue Youth may be gone (I don’t know) and if so, they’re not forgotten. Their sound is personified in these eight songs and more people should hear them. Enough said.

You can stream and grab Dead Forever as a name-your-price download or pick up a first-run tape from Blue Youth below:-

If you want a vinyl copy, the only place to pick it up from is Zegema Beach Records. There's a single copy left on their Bandcamp page:-

https://zegemabeachrecords.bandcamp.com/album/dead-forever

Copies are also available from the  ZBR CAN/INTL store here - http://www.zegemabeachrecords.com/zegema-beach-releases/blueyouthlp and the US store (both vinyl and tape) here - https://zbrusa.com/collections/zbr-releases/products/blue-youth-dead-forever-12

Blue Youth - https://www.facebook.com/blueyouthsk

Grind Central Records - https://www.facebook.com/grindcentralrecords

Santapogue Media - https://www.facebook.com/santapoguemedia

Suspended Soul Tapes And Records - https://www.facebook.com/SuspendedSoulTapesRecords

Zegema Beach Records - https://www.facebook.com/zegemabeachrecords