Pomegranate Seeds: 8/10

The third LP by the British punk-rocker, the self-titled “YUNGBLUD” was a long-awaited follow-up to YUNGBLUD’s last album, “Weird!” After hearing some earlier songs by the young artist, the new album seemed very exciting. Here are all my thoughts on the newest album of 2022, “YUNGBLUD.”

Starting with the first track, “The Funeral” was a great opener for this album. Filled with energetic beats and a fast-paced chorus, this song would set expectations for the sound of the rest of the album. As it was my first introduction to Yungblud, it was a good surprise as I was not expecting such great vocals from this artist. “The Funeral” was a fantastic opening track that makes you want to hear the rest of the album.

This energy continues for the next two tracks, “Tissues” and “Memories” which are some of the best songs of the album. “Tissues” is definitely the hit of the album with an amazing opening beat, good guitar solos, and fun, catchy lyrics. It’s a lively song that would be great for dancing and I could see being featured in movies one day. The track that follows “Tissues” is “Memories” featuring WILLOW. While there are similarities between the first two tracks, “Memories” just feels different from the rest and shows off the capabilities of this young, British singer. WILLOW was the perfect feature for this song as she and Yungblud make amazing duet partners. “Memories” was a great song with some amazing lyrics and an energetic chorus.

Unfortunately, this is where the album drops off a bit. While the rest of the songs don’t disappoint when it comes to lyrics or production, I was constantly plagued by the thought that the songs were far too short. This goes for tracks 4-7, which all fell short, literally. Although, “Cruel Kids” was a shining light among the few dull tracks as it was also jam-packed with fun lyrics that plenty could enjoy. It felt different from the other songs, as it didn’t immediately jump into all the energy and chorus as the last few, and felt like it took its time to form a truly good song.

The album picks up again with track 8, “Sex Not Violence” which was reminiscent of the first few songs and brought the same energy. It had the best chorus of any of the songs, with the perfect lyrics accompanied by the perfect mix of guitars and drums. It was one of my favorites from the album and the first one where the length of the track was actually pretty good. The singing was great, the instruments were perfect, and the ending was the best of any of the songs on the album.

The next few tracks didn’t live up to the last one, as they all seemed extremely short and came off as rather dull. “Don’t Feel Like Feeling Sad Today” had a great chorus, but that was it. The song seemed like it consisted of nothing but the chorus and was far too short to be that enjoyable. “Die For A Night” was very similar to “Don’t Feel Like Feeling Sad Today” as it fell short and, while not being a bad song, sounded very typical and I could easily find a dozen other songs that sound just like it.

A saving grace to the last few tracks, “The Boy In the Black Dress” was a great song and a great ending to the album. It included a variety of good instruments, and made good use of the drums. While the chorus is still amazing, it’s different from the other songs off the album in that the non-chorus parts were equally as good. The chorus is awesome and makes it the perfect song to sing along to.

Overall, this album was a success as it gave us new hits such as “Tissues” and “Memories”. That isn’t to say there aren’t a few problems, as all the songs felt too short and it’s amazing that a 12-track album was only 33 minutes long. The chorus of each song was amazing, and this album has made me want to explore more of Yungblud’s discography. In the end, I gave this album 8 pomegranate seeds as it was full of energy, fun lyrics, and great beats, and you should definitely give it a listen.