Music Review: Live Without You – Wild Youth

Lately I’ve been struggling with blog burnout (more about that another time), I’ve lacked the drive and motivation to compose posts for the blog lately. So, rather than force myself to create content, I took a break and celebrated a ‘milestone’ birthday (according to some) so it would take something really interesting to encourage me to review again. And what do you know, something interesting came along. ‘Live Without You’ is Wild Youth’s newest release and, to be entirely honest, this is not what I expected from the Dublin quartet. Wild Youth has been mentioned time and again on our blog and, at this point, probably requires no introduction. Their new single, however… well that requires one of my special review breakdowns so let’s get to work.

The track opens with somewhat muted, plucked guitar strings and a new vocalist for those who are familiar with Wild Youth’s previous releases. The combination of the guitar and drums gives the opening verse an innately upbeat rhythm that conveys a kind of simple joy inspired by love. It’s a smooth, soothing introduction to the song that allows the listener to focus on the lyrics. Conor O’Donohoe lends his deeper, more dulcet tones to the opening verse. His vocals can also be treated as a contrast to Dave Whelan’s vocals in the chorus and second verse. Personally, I really like the sudden difference and how different the two points of view are from the two singers. When comparing the two, Dave’s vocals for the chorus sound almost like a battle cry. An ardent promise that the subject of this song is the be all and end all. Conor’s deeper tone brings a great balance to the song and really should be utilized more often in future. At the end of the first chorus, there is a beat pause and it’s almost like the deep breath you take before diving head first into something or the sudden stop before you say something you can’t take back. We can also compare the first and second verses’ lyrics. Conor’s verse very much focus on external things, what other people think and how they are viewed from outside while Dave’s verse is more concerned about the goings on between two people and disregards external opinion. The ‘I can’t live without you’ refrain is very much like a mantra and uses an almost gospel choir style to really hammer home how important that one fact is. It is the gospel truth that life isn’t the same without that one person.

The refrain is also going to make this another track that the band can easily involve the audience in during live performances. It’s easy, repetitive and memorable. However, there’s something else memorable about ‘Live Without You’: The drum rhythm that’s introduced in the first verse alongside the muted plucked guitar strings is very reminiscent of the work of a member of Ireland’s international music elite. A one Niall Horan. Specifically the rhythm from his song with Maren Morris: Seeing Blind. This song seems to be another experimental sound from Wild Youth and this one works far better than previous experiments. I will state that both ‘Live Without You’ and ‘Seventeen’ are departures from Wild Youth’s signature “happy sad songs” and seem to focus more on the joy love can bring which is a welcome change and just highlights the new stage of life that the band is currently in.

Now, for something a little different for this review: my opinion. I generally try to remain neutral throughout reviews and give facts and points to note about the tracks, however, this time I’ll make an exception. Was this the song that I hoped Wild Youth would release next? No. Is this the song that will inspire me to go searching for an interview with Wild Youth? Evidently not or I’d be working on interview questions right now instead of a review. I like the song but it’s not my favourite. In all honesty, I find the lyrics a bit…lacklustre. For me, it pales in comparison to the likes of Champagne Butterflies. To me, there’s nothing overly complex about the lyrics that requires a closer look. Overall, the song lacks the typical flair of a great Wild Youth song but I feel like it’s a radio friendly track that will garner them some airplay in the lead up to the release of their next body of work. I will admit that it took me a second to realise that it was in fact Conor that was singing the first verse and I’m pleasantly surprised by the clarity (except for one word), precision and tone of his vocals so kudos to him for stepping up to the mic in a more prominent manner. That can be intimidating. Dave’s vocals, as always, are clear and really show a deep emotional understanding of the lyrics. I wouldn’t define ‘Live Without You’ as a contender for the song of the summer but it is another solid addition to Wild Youth’s repertoire.

‘Live Without You’ is out now and available to stream and download from all good streaming platforms and you can, of course, follow the band on Twitter and Instagram to stay up to date on upcoming tour dates and releases.