Album Review: Young Fathers -- White Men Are Black Men Too

Young Fathers’ Mercury win after their debut album, Dead, did nothing for either their sales or their progress as musicians.

They took on an aspect of aggressive apathy, actively pushing back against the attention. Whilst this ruffled the feathers of the music press illuminati, it did let them work on new material under their own terms. Which they did; immediately after their win they began recording their provocatively-titled follow-up, White Men Are Black Men Too, in a Berlin basement. Their fierce independence (childish moping to some) bought them creative freedom and a space in which to exercise that, and this album is the result.

It’s a crunchy, metallic album full of rough architecture and industrial noise, with some interesting passages of slick vocal work that balance out the grime. It’s hard to latch onto and will alienate some to the point of no return. There’s a tonne of detail in here, and they have a fearless approach to texture and experimentation. Old Rock’n’Roll is a gutsy collage of stomping, yelping and junkyard percussion, while 27 is a pretty successful attempt at actual pop songwriting. It’s not too far from a James Blake B-side.

There are a lot of TV On The Radio vibes happening, and the left-of-centre neo-soul approach of that band is here in spades. White Men Are Black Men Too will appeal to those looking for a challenging listen while waiting for the next TV On The Radio record. It’s far from intellectually rewarding, but it’s incredibly idiosyncratic and gets under your skin.