The Molotovs – Wasted on Youth

Sibling duo The Molotovs are having quite the adolescence, from live gigs supporting The Libertines to industry titans, The Sex Pistols and Blondie, and on top of that, they recently recorded a single at Paul Weller’s Black Barn Studios. That’s quite the resume for two teenagers, Matthew and Issey Cartlidge, of just 17 and 19 respectively, who are now unveiling their debut album Wasted on Youth: a fast-flying, wallop to the ears of purposeful British punk that, whilst carrying all the necessary firepower, struggles at times to find the direction in which to aim it.

The band kick off with Get a Life: a lacerating opener of churlish fuzzed-out guitars and impetuous attitude that, clocking in at just under two minutes, wears its influences on its sleeve and is caught between the melodic urgency-driven sound of The Jam and the gruff fast-and-loose stylings of The Libertines. Daydreaming immediately follows and slows things down, just a notch, with a track that, as you might expect from the title, is about seizing the moment and not letting opportunity fly by. It has a mod-revival feel to it and is produced with enough immaculate precision to still provide that live feel without losing any clarity, but the lyrics are laced with perhaps a bit too much earnestness to create something truly memorable.

Soon we enter into more indie-2000s territory with More More More, an exuberant alt-rock number that’s neatly constructed with spoken word vocals, and sharp, amp-squeal inducing guitar lines and the nostalgic, zippy momentum that would have undoubtedly earned it a spot, if released 20 years earlier, on the annual “NME Presents the Essential Bands” CD. Rhythm of Yourself follows a similar thread, but with thicker bass-lines, Arctic Monkeys-styled swagger (think Teddy Picker and D is for Dangerous) and ample unabashed shout-speak.

Things take a gentler turn with the acoustic guitar-driven Nothing Keeps Her Away: a charmingly simple Weller-styled ballad that follows a singer’s romance with a super-fan. It’s disarmingly low-key but finds its power in Matthew Cartlidge’s lyricism and the haunting “ooo”s and “woo”s of Issey Cartlidge’s understated backing vocal line that, to this listener’s ear, are reminiscent of the iconic German singer Nico’s supporting vocals to the Velvet Underground’s Sunday Morning and provide a tranquil textural layer to the track that’s wistful, forlorn, and utterly brilliant.

The Molotovs undoubtedly pack a lot of punch, but a lot is going on here and Wasted on Youth feels like a vast collection of influences jammed into one record. That’s not to say that these songs in isolation are in any way wanting and, for the most part, they are the exact opposite, with frenetic riffs, commanding vocals and real, undeniable tenacity from the sibling pair; but there is a lack of cohesion within Wasted on Youth that feels indicative of a band still fine-tuning its sound. A strong debut that displays real promise, The Molotovs are a band that you should put on your radar.