Friends for Now

iTunes Review

As self-described shoegazers, Young Prisms aim to unleash stately waves of noise with a delicate undertow. The band upholds a long tradition of textured cacophony here, working from templates laid out by both American (Jesus and Mary Chain, Sonic Youth) and British sources (the ‘80s Manchester psych-pop revival). That noted, Young Prisms inject their own buoyant pop sensibility into the mix, heard mostly in the ghostly vocal blends that cut through the thick guitar skeins wrapped around each track. The roaring fizz of “If You Want To” and the dark seductive swirl of “Stay Awake” are typical of the dense yet flexible tapestries achieved by the band. Singer Stefanie Hodapp takes a star turn on “Feel Fine,” sounding like a lost pop princess from some ‘60s teen-angst aria. Tracks like “Sugar” and “Eleni” move to an intoxicating throb, lending movement to the soaring towers of sound erected upon them. Young Prisms do it all with an air of modesty and mystery, beckoning the listener to slip deeper into a state of slow, dreamy bedazzlement.