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Selection: Los Campesinos! - Hold On Now, Youngster...

Los Campesinos! - Hold On Now, Youngster...



Hold On Now, Youngster... was included in a ballot by my friend Steph. These are her words on the record, followed by mine.

Steph: The ultimate in quotable quotes and the philosophy of life for the MySpace generation / bookish graduates – I just love how happy this album is, and the noisy, insanely catchy riffs. I also love the very specific lyrics, that you could imagine in the past using as a quote for a status on social media, and the use of xylophones and scratchy strings on top of the music.

While I'd loved the singles before, I got more into the album once I started working in a library, as I particularly enjoyed the literary poetic nature of the lyrics, and lines such as "and then we'll maybe drown in Dewey Decimal", and "the second-hand book shop employees / Reading the inscriptions that were never meant for their eyes", (both from Don't Tell Me To Do The Math(s)).

Elsewhere, the range of references on the album covers Rousseau, the Venus de Milo, and 00s terminology such as LiveJournal, CTRL ALT DEL, and 'Walkman tucked inside my forearm'.

You! Me! Dancing! really seems to sum up those nights out dancing at university, especially when they sing, "So long as we're here, everything is alright" - when you have that moment in the club of thinking, can't we all just stay like this forever?

They're even using their very specific world to take people down: "And when our eyes meet / All that I can read is, 'You're the B-side'." – ouch. (Knee Deep At ATP)

Another thing I love about the album is how even the slower songs end in an anthemic quotable chant. They also employ the use of boy-girl vocals, and spoken word. I love all the songs on the album, but favourites are Don't Tell Me To Do The Math(s), My Year In Lists, You! Me! Dancing!, Death to Los Campesinos!

If anyone is a runner, this album is great to run to, as it has a lot of energy. Broken Heartbeats Sound Like Breakbeats is a fave to run to - it's crazy-fast and has handclaps. Also this quote in You! Me! Dancing! really sums up the power the album gives you on a run: "The beats, yeah, they were coming out the speakers / And were winding up straight in your sneakers".

Whilst I knew this album would feature in my Top 40, I hadn't realised that it would be one of my top ten albums until doing this project. I got into their second album 'Romance Is Boring' as well, but then didn't find the third album as joyful and then they went off my radar. I've listened to this album quite a bit lately though, and introduced it to my running group's album club. I saw them live at Dot to Dot festival in Manchester in 2010.

Joe: I think quite a few of my friends were into Los Campesinos! around the time they released this, their debut album. I was absolutely not listening to much indie pop at the time so pretty much ignored them. I enjoyed listening to this a little and can see why it's infectious. Some good riffs, lots of shouting in the choruses and fairly funny lyrics - a potent mix for indie kids.

Of course, now I'm an old man I find this all a bit too frenetic for my taste (and I'm not a runner!) and I doubt I'll ever be an enthusiast for twee culture. Sorry Steph, but at least I didn't hate it as you feared!
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