Grow Young, the latest effort from The Future, is an improvement overall from their 2009 debut Is Now, but it lacks the individual gems that the first record boasted.
The Future, whose members call Tennessee home by way of North Dakota, have made a great impression on the local scene over the past few years with a sound that mixes the soulful rock of Nashville with good old-fashioned Midwestern angst. However, they have also suffered from a disease that has plagued many rock bands – they sound great live, but they have trouble keeping up the same energy on recorded tracks.
The first track, "Man of the People," seems to be an attempt to address that issue. It is one of the most fascinating on the album, with vocalist Adam Culver adopting an eerie falsetto over a creeping dirge of instrumentation. It’s deeply interesting, and it seems like it would be difficult to recreate during a live show. "Locker Bay" and "Another Last Chance" also seem to contain some experimentation with the abilities of a studio as a fifth band member.
Other parts of the record, however, move along too slowly; while I imagine those same songs sound amazing in a live setting, to listen to them on an iPod is not an energizing experience. (While live music is, generally, going to be a more invigorating experience for a listener, when a band doesn’t pay enough thought as to how it will sound recorded, it begs the question as to why one should buy the album at all).
This album is, however, much more polished and thoughtful than The Future’s previous work, though it doesn’t have the same danceable quality that Is Now had. One track that does seem to be a tip to fans of their first record is the immensely fun, Hives-esque "Don’t You Dare,” though again, I imagine the live version transcends the recording.
The Future is in a state of transition, from an anonymous indie act to one that is on the proverbial verge. Grow Young might not be the act’s herald onto the national stage, but it is nonetheless a step to greater things. – Katharine Heriges