Album Review: Ryan Young & Electric Sunrise

Us Sheffield folk have always been a proud bunch. And why shouldn’t we be? From our great bands such as Pulp and Arctic Monkeys to our heritage as makers of the world’s greatest knives and forks. Anyone from the area who follows the local music scene may already be familiar with singer-songwriter Ryan Young. For some time now he has been known here as one of the most exciting live acts around, with his mix of indie, folk, blues, and good old fashioned rock ‘n’ roll. It seems to have been some time in the making, but August sees the release of his debut album with his band Electric Sunrise. And it looks like Yorkshire’s answer to Dylan is about to be launch from the local scene to a larger playing field with the release of this thirteen track debut. There has already been a string of stellar singles and tracks released on the SoundCloud page, so what can we expect from the album?

Well of course there is the bat-shit crazy string work that has come be be somewhat of a trademark. Add to that the ridiculous amount of lyrics that Young can spit out per second, all with his dry northern delivery. But I guess you already know that. You can get that listening to recent releases ‘Heat Seeker’ (with special props on this one to the horn player) and the ridiculously catchy ‘Oh Aye’. As far as putting your best foot forward, we were already off to a great start with these two tracks, but the album is far more than a sum of these parts. But one thing is for sure; they stand us in good stead for what the rest of the album has to deliver.

It is made up of killer track after killer track, with very little let up. It is a relentlessly upbeat album throughout , perfect for festival season. The album shifts and changes throughout, keeping it fresh with every song. From the epic opener ‘Shotgun & A Shovel’, to the anthemic crowd-pleaser ‘Holding Onto You’. But Ryan and the boys seem to be most at ease when they banging out Dylan-esque folk rock such as ‘Dynamite’ and ‘Timebomb Woman’ (featuring my favourite lyric on the album – ‘she’s so cynical, she spits out miracles’). It’s on these songs when they really get to display their talents on their chosen instruments. It’s almost showing off really.

The album closes in a rare moment where Ryan shows off his more sensitive side on ‘Love Trough My Eyes’. After such a crazy ride through the thirteen tracks, it seems like the perfect way to end.

If you’ve been waiting for this album to arrive, then no doubt it will be worth the wait. If you’re discovering Ryan Young & Electric sunrise for the first time, then you may be about to find your new favourite.