With a name like Northern Drive I was expecting a cold, Nordic sort of an album with lots of sharp, glittery songs, pared down to the bare necessities. What I got was much sunnier, with lots of laid back, happy-sounding tunes.

The first bars of the opening track Gone are the Days made me instantly think of Nick Drake, while the second song reminds me of the Beach Boys, but what else do you expect of a song called “California Morning”. The nearest we get to my Nordic idea is on Footprints which at least mentions snow, dark days and staying in bed all day. So how can dark, snowy days and California mornings exist on same album? Well that’s because The Young Tradition, Brent Kenji and Erik Hansper, have experienced them both. Brent lives in California and Erik lives in Sweden.

But it is the California sun that shines strongly through these cheerful songs. My snowy Footprints bops along at a jaunty pace and even a song called Whores could be whistled cheerfully. However, once you start listing to the lyrics they start to sound a little joyful. This record has lots of songs about people leaving, and those left behind being utterly miserable and spending their time hating themselves. However, only a couple of songs on the album really conjuror up these emotions. Triangle, a beautiful simple song, makes my heart ache a little bit. And the closing track Everything We Knew is a hushed, melancholy sort of song.

This is no bad thing; Northern Driving is not an album to find out and listen to in your bedroom while bemoaning a recent break-up. Instead, as suggested in the title track, you should take it on a road trip. Listening to these 10 tracks with the windows down and the sun beating down you will be tapping your fingers on the steering wheel in no time.

This record would even brighten up the dull, wet days we have had too many of this summer.

Grainne Lynch
 

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