The Subways - Young For Eternity

Do they say something negative about idle hands? The Subway’s first CD, Young for Eternity is a strong argument for spending time just tooling around, finding a feel for the rhythms and working out the chords, i.e., learning exactly what you can do if you want to rock. Thankfully, Billy Lunn has already fretted about the frets, and he’s put his finger on the right fingering, and along with Charlotte Cooper on the bass and Josh Morgan on drums, The Subways have produced a solid rock album. British in execution, replete with the melodic crooning that seems native to the UK, this album ranges from shades of Green Day’s punk (“Vacation”) to laxer alternative streams (“She Sun”) and back to strict rock caterwauling (“Oh Yeah”), which is just the way we like it. With a series of twelve short, succinct songs, The Subways wraps some catchy beats around some energetic lyrics, and while there are a few misses (the sonic “City of Pavement”), the majority of the album, when true to the fundamentals, really does rock. Songs like “Rock and Roll Queen” may be nonsense, but they're fun, and when coupled with a stronger message, like on “With You,” this debut is right up there with that of We Are Scientists. The one soft spot for The Subways is that either their intensity seems a bit restrained in this recording, or they have too much love for the softer schisms of alternative rock: Either way, it’s not always coordinated. It’s nice to get a light release that doesn’t strain our ears or smash our minds, and if for that it has to forgo touching our hearts, Young for Eternity is at least a fun and varied ride. [www.thesubways.net]