[rating=7.00]
The Youngers’ third album Picture of You came about as the result of funds contributed through a KickStarter campaign, and it quickly becomes clear that the money was well spent. Songs such as “Picture of You,” “Down the Road” and “Old Times” sound as timeless as their titles imply. Still, the vision is flawlessly contemporary, resulting in an authentic roots rock album that defines every sense of the term.
“I’ve got an old picture of you/It’s faded and worn, but to me it’s still new,” lead vocalist and chief songwriter Todd Notobartlo sings on the title track, effectively summing up the sensibility that defines the album overall. It’s a sound that finds an ideal fit in today’s arched Americana environs. Granted, there’s a certain similarity that binds any number of outfits operating in these environs, but for one that’s not nearly so well known — this is, after all only their third album to date, and it’s released on a tiny independent label to boot — the Youngers definitely hold their own when it comes to their rootsy resolve. These are songs that ring with the kind of drive and determination that’s genuinely ageless, with qualities borne since the beginning. It’s a common bond that connects the Flying Burrito Brothers to Jason Isbel, and it’s within that trajectory that the Youngers find a perfect fit.
In that sense, Picture of You sounds much like it could be an album for the ages, one that makes an emphatic impression on the very first listen. Its ringing guitars, sturdy refrains and weathered melodies offer the essence of Americana and all it tends to express. Hopefully then, if all goes well, it will bring the band the attention they deserve and elevate them to a position of prominence within an oftentimes disparate community. Someday perhaps, the Youngers will be elevated to elders, a ranking their indelible efforts ought to ensure.
