Some Kind of Youth is the debut album from Seoul-based rock ‘n’ roll duo Dead Buttons. The band is comprised of Korean guitarist/vocalist Jihyun Hong and Paraguayan/Korean drummer/vocalist Kanghee Lee...

As debut albums go, Some Kind of Youth ticks all the right boxes. It has confidence, diversity and gives a very strong impression of what the band is all about.

A veteran of Korea’s indie scene, Hong previously played guitar for the Seoul hardcore band Combative Post as well as punk bands Sweet Guerillaz and Oi! Resolute, along with the psych- and pop-tinged garage rock act The Infamous Orchestra. The band was originally formed as a trio in the autumn of 2012. Showing their ambitious nature early on, less than two months after making their live debut they travelled to Tokyo in December 2012 to perform at the Japan-Korea Punk Festival. In the summer of 2013, Hong and Lee parted ways with their bassist. Wanting a fresh start for Dead Buttons, they threw away all of their older material and began crafting new tunes as a two-piece.

In October 2013, they made their first appearance at Hongdae’s Zandari Festa, an important international showcase for Korean bands, at which they caught the attention of several organizers of overseas music festivals, including Liverpool Sound City. In February 2014, Dead Buttons issued their first EP, Whoever You Are. Whereas the band’s early material had more of a garage punk feel Whoever You Are boasts a wider sonic palette mixing garage rock, blues, country, punk, and psychedelic music to create an infectious sampler that showcases this fast-rising pair’s potential.

It's taken some time to finally arrive, but this doesn't make it any less enjoyable - in fact this has most likely resulted in a more impressive debut as the duo have finally honed their skills.

The album contains 11 songs (43 min, 52 sec) which take in everything from good old fashioned rock 'n' roll ('I Need a Million') to slower, Scorpion-esque tracks ('Useless Generation'). '16-22', which is more an indie garage rock track, was my personal favourite - bringing forth memories of the style of guitar licks Nirvana used to deliver.

It's an interesting album which is worth a listen if you're an indie rock fan.

7

Nick Smithson