Somebody’s Child: When Youth Fades Away

Somebody’s Child: When Youth Fades Away

(Frenchkiss Records)

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Dublin & London based Somebody’s Child releases the triumphant new album When Youth Fades Away, his second, expands on the guitar led energy of the self-titled debut while showcasing some heartfelt, thoughtful songwriting.

Opening with the tight electronic drums or ‘The Kid’, the album gradually layers up its elements; adding plucky synth, guitar, bass and finally a full drum kit as if revealing each band member, peeling away the elements of Somebody’s Child’s sound before introducing Cian’s effortlessly charismatic, effortlessly cool lead vocal. As comparable to The National as it is to Sam Fender, the track builds throughout, bringing an buoyant indie energy balanced with a sense of honesty and intimacy through the vocal delivery and cleverly evolving instrumental backdrop.

Last Night I Held Your Hand delivers infectious indie rock energy, contrasted by painfully honest lyricism and an open-hearted vocal performance—qualities that make Somebody’s Child such a compelling artist. The album’s lead single, Porcelain (Losing All My Patience), continues this approach, lyrically reflecting on personal transformation and the evolving nature of relationships. These themes are carried by inexplicably catchy melodies over a rich, guitar-led backdrop.

New Orleans disrupts the album’s indie-rock momentum with a much welcome piano-led, off-kilter ballad reminiscent of The National’s Carin at the Liquor Store. Featuring some bubbling subtle synth glitches under the warm, sea shanty-esque sway, the track brings the delicate side of the album’s writing to the fore .

Irish Goodbye showcases beautifully intricate guitar lines over an uptempo drum beat, balancing inventive ideas with the infectious vocal delivery that makes Somebody’s Child such an exciting commercial prospect. The slow and brooding The Waterslide leans into hazy shoegaze influences, before closing track Time of My Life wraps up the album with a fittingly Springsteen-worthy anthem.

Cian Godfrey, the mind behind Somebody’s Child describes the album as a reflection on the inevitable process of ageing and the shifting perspectives that come with it. “If our first album was about running away, this one is about staying put and reflecting. It’s about letting people in and letting ourselves out.”

Expanding on the album’s themes, he adds: “It’s like going back to your parents’ house and noticing something you haven’t seen in years, and having a completely different perspective on it now that you’re older. Perhaps you’ve reached the age they were upon purchasing it. Whatever it is, it formed a part of your parents life and had significance in their past. You may not have been there for its use, but like the yellowing of a book, it becomes highlighted by time. By recognising this, we are giving value to it.”

A collection of tracks that feels like a coming-of-age album, When Youth Fades Away is an anthemic exploration of adulthood—both expansive and intimate, restrained yet brimming with energy. While it doesn’t push boundaries as far as some listeners might crave, it solidifies Somebody’s Child as an artist with a well-defined sound, delivering music that is both warmly alternative and irresistibly catchy, with huge commercial potential.

An album that is well worth a listen, and undoubtedly, well worth seeing live.

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All words by Simon Lucas-Hughes. More writing by Simon Lucas-Hughes can be found at his author’s archive.