Youth Group: Casino Twilight Dogs : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Australian rockers Youth Group first reached American audiences on The O.C., doing a cover of a decrepit Eighties oldie, Alphaville's "Forever Young." Dude -- that wasn't even Alphaville's best song! "Big in Japan," my man! But even if The O.C. is history, Youth Group are destined for hugeness. On their third album, they wield massive choruses, stadium-ready production and the keening vocals of Toby Martin. He may sing like Coldplay's Chris Martin (no relation), but with "Let It Go" and "Start Today Tomorrow," he's singing better tormented-lover-boy rock ballads than Coldplay have managed in years. "Sorry" is their best, as Martin bombards his ex with questions: "Did you find what you were looking for in Room Thirteen on the sixteenth floor?/. . . Did you find what you were looking for in the silence between his snores?/. . . Do you find these European handball players beautiful?" In a post-O.C. world, Youth Group keep the fires burning.