Indie-pop duo Whenyoung return with a confident, electronic new song Unchained. It follows their single from October, The Laundress, another moody, electro-pop track, and their comeback single A Little Piece of Heaven, a comforting and optimistic song.
Unchained sounds different to both of these singles, and shows off the band’s versatility, and is indicative of their new sound.
Hailing from Limerick in Ireland, they moved to London to start their career. They started out as a three-piece band, comprising of singer and bassist Aoife Power, guitarist Niall Burns, and drummer Andrew Flood, but have since become a duo, couple Power & Flood.
In 2018, they recorded a cover of The Cranberries smash-hit Dreams as a tribute to former lead singer Dolores O’Riordan, also from Limerick, to much success. The band actually do not sound dissimilar to The Cranberries, with woozy guitar riffs and dreamy vocals. Their debut album Reasons To Dream was released in May 2019, and since then they have toured successfully, recorded live sessions at Maida Vale Studios, and have received praise from The Sunday Times, NME, The Irish Times and many more.
Unchained opens with a siren-like synth, and a distorted voice, instantly intriguing the listener. “I was thinking of the ways I could get out of your warzone/I’ve been dressing my body up in armour, unencumbered” Power sings, in her low tones as a sturdy drumbeat carries her voice. The song was written about a time when Power was feeling like she was not enough, feeling cramped, stunted, and obsessed by weaknesses. Leaving this situation allowed her to regain self-esteem and release the defensive layer she had used for protection. And the track certainly feels like a release, like when it rains in the summer after a long drought. “I’ve been sitting for you quietly like some disenchanted muse” she observes.
Whenyoung’s new sound is bold, unafraid, and unshackled. Their sophomore album Paragon Songs arrives next year on 7 April.
