Collective Soul: Youth

Collective Soul is back, after 4 years of absence and with a new producer, they bring you Youth. They still ignore what the public thinks, they ignore the cool factor and just makes good mainstream rock music. The album doesn’t hook you the first time round, but after the second listen it kind of connects. The band’s strong points have always been their lyrics and guitars. Youth serves a nice dose of both.

Youth is a logical progression from where they left off with 2000’s near-excellent Blender. It contains real gems like “Better Now”, “There’s a Way” and “Feels Like (It Feels Alright)”. The men are as energetic as ever, and importantly, they have limited themselves to their trademark style of catchy guitar-hooks, irresistibly singable choruses. It’s a conventional Collective Soul album, like all the others. This band is so well-intentioned, so likeable, and they produce such consistently enjoyable albums that it’s hard not to be just plain happy to have them back, and to have a sixth good Collective Soul album on the rack.