Beach Sloth

Chad Valley – Young Hunger 8.0

               Chad Valley is pure pop. This is uncut. ‘Young Hunger’ is a bit different from his previous efforts. Sound-wise, it is even clearer, more direct. Vocals are placed right in front. In fact Chad appears to sound more confident this time around. He’s also not alone: multiple guests help give the album a sense of communal spirit. It balances out the album and compliments Chad’s talents quite well. 

                ‘I owe you this’ features Chad with Twin Shadow in a strong showing. Here he employs a giddy buildup before Twin Shadow comes in about halfway through the track. This is the highlight of the album. Since they have different vocal deliveries it captures the strengths of both artists. It possesses‘glo-fi’ sheen, something that Chad Valley excels at. ‘Fall 4 U’ takes a quieter approach. At five minutes it is the longest track on the album. What could have been a tongue-in-cheek exercise by most artists is tackled with a refreshing sweetness. Following the mid-album’s quiet temperament is the enthusiastic rush of ‘Up and Down’. It moves quickly, wasting no time in propelling itself with a catchy 80s-inspired melody. From here the songs become considerably more 80s influenced. Eventually the album ends with the almost beat-less ‘Animal’. 

                ‘Young Hunger’ is a dedicated album. So much positive energy is all over it. Everything here sounds hopeful. Little in the way of sadness takes hold. Chad manages to inject hope even into the saddest songs on the album. Overall this is a real pleasure for the ears.