Newly released album The Stories That You Weave showcases the self-recorded ingenuity of Phoenix-based artist Thomas Young, performing as Victims of the New Math. Blending ’60s-inspired grit with melodic power-pop and garage-rock, Young explores the fragility of fame and affection through a refreshingly riff-driven lens that captures the nostalgic warmth of vintage AM radio.
A fuzzed-out guitar resonance opens the album on “The Run Up,” enjoyable in its no-frills momentum. “You’re A Star” ensues, the resonant vocals “what will you do, when it all comes down on you?” as jangly guitars enter seamlessly; a melding of power-pop and throwback garage-rock emanates, especially memorable in the whirring guitar tone additions past the one-minute turn, situated nicely within the “baby you’re a star” vocal refrain. “Only in My Dreams” continues the album’s strong start, its “I was wrong” admissions and sense of retrospection aligning with a hazy rock allure, with shades of The Replacements in the escalated fervor within the “only in my dreams” hook.
Another memorable track, “Every Day Is Saturday” commences with a title-bearing vocal magnetism, set amidst serenely caressing guitar jangling and a smitten “when I’m with you” vocal follow-up. The Stories That You Weave consistently delights in its mixture of lyrical introspection — both self-critical and all-out adoring — and melodic rock productions, treading the realms of power-pop, garage-rock, and alternative with lovely cohesion.
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“You’re a Star” and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup.
