Damian McGinty - Young Forever

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Well, this is a rather delightful treat isn't it? You may well know Damian McGinty from his stint on TV show and genuine phenomenon, Glee, but you should absolutely be immersing yourself in his recording career. His first full length non-Christmas album, Young Forever, is a treasure trove of percolating pop songs and insightful, heartbreaking ballads. They are songs fuelled by poetic lyrics, effusive instrumentals and engaging melodies; all designed to elicit your own memories from experiences gone by or provide the soundtrack to your current state of mind. Damian's charming voice guides the message of each song with such style and panache that the music lingers long after the songs have finished playing. In an age where the trend is to craft beats on a computer, it feels refreshing to have an old school approach to the construction of these songs. Here's why I have fallen hard for each one...

• Geronimo ~ The themes of Young Forever aren't about taking a Death Becomes Her style potion to remain eternally youthful; rather, the stories on the album are about the adventures we encounter and how we deal with them. Geronimo, therefore, makes a great opening song. It not only sets the narrative tone for what is to follow, but is a rather peppy piece about taking a chance in life. A sprightly percussion and riveting guitar captures your attention whilst Damian's effusive vocal catapults you straight into the heart of this song.
• Home Sweet Home ~ if Geronimo was the sparkling pop gem to open the album, then Home Sweet Home is the rallying call to arms style anthem which gives you an endorphin rush propelling you to cloud nine. It is a whirling dervish of a song, one that celebrates the places you belong in the world with such a lush textured score and joyous refrain that it feels as welcome as a hug from a long lost friend. If you're singing this all the live long day you won't be alone...
• Slow Dance ~ I love the subversion of expectation here. Instead of the album's first ballad, it is a splendid mid-tempo groove. The lyrics see Damian living the high life but just counting the moments until he can be with his honey again. There is such a natural eagerness to his vocal, a genuine sincerity in his delivery that it becomes a deliciously romantic moment. It will either give words to how you are feeling about a person in your life right now or be the relationship goals you desire. Those textured vocals coming out of the middle 8 are just glorious.
• You Should Know ~ have you ever been searching for someone only to find they were right in front of you all the time? This song gives shimmering life to that type of realisation. Damian makes exquisite use of my favourite instrument in pop (the piano) to provide a resonant instrumental partner to his beautifully aching yearnings. The lovely, languorous rhythms really let the sentiment of the song breathe and it washes over you like a cool breeze on a summer day. Absolutely stunning.
• Bus To Mexico ~ I've never taken a bus to Mexico (though I once to a cruise to Cozumel) but if it is anything as enticing as this song then book me a Greyhound right now. Actually, the song is more a metaphor for seizing the moment and throwing caution to the wind. In that way it continues the theme of Geronimo, with the drums and guitar making a propulsive wall of sound that urges you forward as powerfully as Damian singing "throw it all away, throw it all away".
• Forever I Do ~ those jaunty opening bars and the ebullient singing from Mr McGinty are the most theatrical moments on the album thus far. He could be stepping from behind the curtain on a Broadway stage and providing the opening moments of a hit new musical. I've always thought theatre had a vibrant influence on the world of pop and Forever I Do conjures up images of decadent production in the corner of your mind's eye. If there's ever a time that you are feeling blue, pop this song on your stereo and get your strut on.
• Unbelievable ~ If the previous number is the album's big theatre song, then this is the big country music influence. Damian is a perfect narrator of a life story, effortlessly guiding the listener through the ups and downs of his recollections. The chugging beat and pretty keyboard riff dances alongside the words with a grace that enhances the wondrous outcome of this particular romance. One of those songs which seems to make the world stop, if just for the time it is playing.
• Sixteen ~ I haven't been that particular age for a long time but this song succeeds in taking me back and reminding me what life is like. Being a teen can be difficult at times but it is also a time of tremendous firsts when the world seems like a place of endless possibility. Everyone should reflect on what that is like, at least once a day, and this song is the ideal catalyst to put you in the right frame of mind to do so. It is practically a public service!
• No More Time ~ The hand clap rhythm of this song belies the urgency of the message; that, from the moment we are born we are counting down the clock. Ergo, if you are sitting down thinking life is getting in the way of your dreams you need to change your thinking. Damian is emphatic in his imparting of wisdom. When the electric guitar kicks in during the bridge, it adds to the intensity of the song and lights a fire within you to get up and do something about what you want to achieve in life. Public service announcement number 2...
• Love On Rainy Days ~ Love is hard. If it were easy, it wouldn't be worth all the rewards it can bring. Love On Rainy Days sees Damian singing with a sense of pathos and poignancy about how the ghosts of a relationship can haunt you. Revisiting songs played and places visited can bring cherished moments, tarnished by the new reality you find yourself in. There is a real sense of sadness and loss which makes this a real tear jerker. Damian is particularly gifted at conveying emotions in erudite ways that the listener didn't know they needed in their life.
• Saltwater ~ "This head of heavy thoughts/is just to much for me/so I wrote it down on paper". The opening lines of Saltwater capture the personal nature of the entire Young Forever album - the creative way of encapsulating all the things that have happened to you as a cathartic way of healing the pain. Punchy chords and a finger clicking percussion take the listener along, that sublime melody heaping salve on their own troubles.
• Sweetest Goodbye ~ my favourite song on Maroon 5's debut album is track 12; a song called Sweetest Goodbye. By coincidence, this song, also titled Sweetest Goodbye, may well achieve the same accolade on Young Forever. It has a swirling instrumental which makes you want to dance alongside a gleeful message that takes the sting out of sorrowful farewells. Note - when Damian sings in his lower register, it really adds to the emotional impact of the song. This is the type of song Westlife used to take to the top of the charts and Damian deserves no less success.
• Blue and Red Lights ~ Damian concludes our journey with him with this lullaby style song. It is a fitting end to an incredible album. Introspection and self-reflection abound from Damian's performance with each note enhancing his journey of discovery. The music never really ends though as this song leaves you wanting to start Young Forever all over again - this time, adding to the experience by telling friends and family about this inveigling songs. The next new soundtrack to your life has arrived.