Music Review: Seventeen – Wild Youth

Well hello there. We’re back with a Wild Youth review. I (Emma) haven’t done a Wild Youth review in a while and this is our first time really diving into the nitty gritty of a Wild Youth song as a team. Their newest single ‘Seventeen’ was released on Friday the 4th of March and, you just know, we had to review it. For our newer readers, Wild Youth is a four piece indie-pop group from Dublin comprised of David Whelan (lead vocals and guitar), Conor O’Donohoe (keyboard, guitar, percussion, backing vocals and lead songwriter), Ed Porter (backing vocals and lead guitar) and Callum McAdam (drums and percussion). They found radio play success with tracks like ‘All or Nothing’, ‘Can’t Move On’ and ‘Long Time No See’ and are hoping to replicate that success with their latest single, ‘Seventeen’. It soared to number one on the Apple download charts on its first day; so far signs look good for nostalgic and self reflective ‘Seventeen’.

An almost dream sequence-esque intro of shimmering synths is met by lyrics, key and drums and introduces the tempo of the high energy track early. This opening synth remains until the pre-chorus so, in a way, it lingers just like the memories of being 17. It evokes the kind of upbeat nostalgia of the things in life you genuinely miss. The emphasis on the small details like Tommy jeans and listening to Lennon just proves that these are the moments that are and will be ingrained in the songwriters’ memories for a long time to come. The music doesn’t feel bittersweet but rather gives a real sense of fondness, joy and nostalgia for the simplicity of one’s teenage years. At points in the song, strings and piano sections really bring the lyrics to the fore and it feels like these sections are a quick breather after such a long up tempo section; almost like the perfectly still moments of catching your breath after almost getting caught by, for example, your dad, maybe? From the start of the second verse, the song includes a staccato string underneath the lyrics that is reminiscent of the opening of Viva la Vida by Coldplay which, if done on purpose or by accident, is an excellent callback to one of the biggest songs of the noughties when the band were actually around 17.

The tempo gives a sense of young joy and fun and it’s definitely one of those really motivational songs that’s ideal for the gym. The use of multiple voices in the chorus really does make it feel all the more anthemic and kind of reminds me of driving beside the beach with the roof down or the sunroof open blasting songs at top volume. Though the track is so positive and upbeat, it really gives off a sense of the longing for the simplicity of younger years and who can blame them? Everything is easier when you’re younger. The lingering echo of the last line at the end seems to really emphasize the nostalgia and dream-like quality of these memories or maybe that the rose tinted glasses of time, who knows. The song leaves behind the retro pop music of the Forever Girl EP and the anger and aggression of ‘Can’t Say No’ in favour of the cleaner style of earlier Wild Youth releases. Picturing this track being performed acoustically isn’t a challenge in comparison to some of the songs released from the Forever Girl EP. Perhaps ‘Seventeen’ is a statement of intent from Wild Youth as a return to a cleaner, crisper style while tackling a new stage of life.

The past two years have shaped us all, with many using the time to reflect on better times when life was a lot less complicated. My favourite aspect of Seventeen is of course the lyrics and how they evoke memories of being seventeen. As many people are aware, some of our favourite songs at Our Muchness Guide tell a story. With ‘Seventeen’, we are transported from the very first line ‘We’d sleep in all day and stay up all night’ to the very last ‘Take me right back’. For one of us, ‘Seventeen’ is exactly how they remember the best bits of being seventeen where you were carefree hanging out with your friends until late, your first love was someone who lived near you and the biggest obstacle was coming up against your parents every now and again. While, for the other, it doesn’t hold much similarities to memories of being seventeen. For this reason alone do we feel the song lyrically will resonate more with some people then others? Yes. However, Niamh is still giggling a little too much at ‘stumbling up the driveway after dark’ and, despite how your teenage years went, the strong visual representation throughout this song will have you smiling and laughing on behalf of Wild Youth. 

The lyrics are extremely literal which aids the visual reminiscing of this song. This helps the listener to predict but also remember the lyrics quicker regardless of how many times they have heard it.  The use of repetition throughout the song allows a novice listener to sing along by the last chorus while avid listeners will be trying to dance around the place preferably with a hairbrush as they keep up with the upbeat chorus or, blasting it in their car as they try to dance and drive at the same time. This repetition within ‘Seventeen’ also makes the song perfect for radio play, we look forward to hearing it as many times as we have heard ‘Can’t Move On’ on our airwaves. 

Make sure you keep up to date with everything Wild Youth is up to via their Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Tiktok and, who knows, you may see more of Wild Youth in the future on our blog and possibly an interview if the guys agree to it and are feeling generous and release the right song next 😉 But for now, ‘Seventeen’ is available to stream and download from all usual streaming services and the links for Spotify and YouTube are below.