The follow-up to 2016's
Slow,
Young in My Head sees Jason Martin continuing to parse through the ups and downs of his life and long career. The figurehead and sole constant member of
Starflyer 59, Martin's particular brand of everyman middle-age alternative rock hews closer to Britpop and dreamy shoegaze than it does the
Springsteen-y heartland swagger of modern dad rock bands. Sounding like a cross between
Mark Sandman,
Richard Hawley, and Richard Butler, Martin's easy baritone along with his familiar modern rock melodies are as comforting as they are tethered to the past. Earnest, melodious, and unabashedly nostalgic, Martin's use of classic alt-rock and dream pop architecture lends added weight to lines like "I had my turn, stayed longer than most/longer than I should have/cause I've never known how to let go," one of the slow-burning "Remind Me"'s many self-referential moments. It's been 25 years since
Starflyer 59 debuted -- this is noted succinctly with a reference to the song "Blue Collar Love" in the aforementioned track -- and the group's shift form fuzzed-out, pedal-gazing
Catherine Wheel devotees to dream pop confectioners remains firmly entrenched in the latter persuasion.
Young in My Head dutifully follows the template set forth by that shift, with highlights arriving via the hazy "Hey Are You Listening" and the driving title cut. It's a workmanlike effort from a hardworking band who know exactly what their fans want, and while the goods it delivers may be well worn, they're administered in good faith. ~ James Christopher Monger