I think it was on the twelfth listen that I first started enjoying this record. The personal nature finally hit the spot. Toby Martin's voice and the way in which it followed the lead of the music - and not vice versa as the band seemed to have previously focused on - finally began to win me over. This is more of an investment of time than I would normally give to an album, but Youth Group have always existed in the 'maybe' category for me. I was really hoping this record, the band's fourth, was going to signify the start of my time as a fan of the group.
My high expectations were not met however. The circumstances in which The Night Is Ours was recorded, with the band locked away for months on an abandoned mess hall on Sydney harbour, seemed to be the perfect approach for the group who on past releases had been slightly apprehensive. There is little doubt that the creative environment has given the music a more personal and engaging nature, but it still feels like this collection of songs are more focused on growing on the listener, rather than instantly knocking them over.
The record opens up with the haunting track Good Time. Martin's strong vocal work - continuing as the centrepiece of the band's direction - powers over the fragile backdrop, which even with the absence of a climactic high-point, comes together to create a song that could very well be their finest moment to date. This three minutes of music, however, tells the story of the album. There are ten harmless, inoffensive and occasionally brilliant songs here, but the group never seem to reach the explosive pinnacle that I want them to arrive at.
They come closest on One For Another, with the interruption of horns towards the end of the track adding a triumphant punctuation mark to the song's dark grandeur nature. The album's closer, What Is A Life?, also adds weight to the overall quality of the record, with the control of mood and pace the band exhibit making it a lot more of a purposeful journey, than merely another three-and-a-half minutes of music.
This isn't the record that will convert those that still think these guys are 'that OC band', but given enough time could very well be the one that wins over those who like myself have been on the fringe for a while now. I continue to wait for the material - which this group is evidently capable of producing - that completely wins me over. Maybe next time around.
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