The Undercurrent: A New Find in Old Wounds

Eli Fosl

When I was still living in Louisville, KY, there was a record store called “Ear-X-Tacy.‰” Ear-X-Tacy was a landmark not only of independent music, but also of Louisville culture, and it‰’s a shame that it no longer exists. This piece isn‰’t about that, though.

About four years ago, while browsing through the local artist CDs in the store, I came across one that caught my eye due to its incredible album art. It was Old Wounds by Young Widows. I didn‰’t know how to feel about the music after my first listen. I do remember however, telling myself that one day, when I was older, I would know enough to have a greater appreciation for the band. After years of collecting dust on my CD rack, that album‰’s day has finally come.

Young Widows is a three-piece experimental rock band from Louisville that has drawn influence from drone metal, noise rock, black metal and math rock. They have three studio albums and a variety of splits and EPs. The band consists of two members from the Louisville mathcore band Breather Resist and the addition of a new drummer. With the release of their first two LPs, the band created a name for themselves as one of the few groups still carrying the “Louisville sound‰” of pre-post rock groups such as Slint and The For Carnation, while also incorporating the style (especially vocally) of pigf**k groups such as Big Black and The Jesus Lizard. With the release of their most recent LP, In And Out Of Youth And Lightness, the band has taken a much softer, longer and overall experimental approach that puts them on a level with formulaic, post-hardcore bands of the world and serves as a sign that Louisville music is still as strong as ever.

Bands like Young Widows take stylistic parts of multiple genres and use them to create something cohesive. In their sound, traces of many genres can be found, and it‰’s no stretch to say that not all the sounds are unique. The end result, however, is an amazing concoction that strikes like no other. I was happy to find this band again, and they are quickly rising to the top of my list of favorites. If you needed another reason to think that 2011 was the best year for music, look no further than In And Out Of Youth And Lightness.