Let me get this out of the way up front, Wasted On Youth blew me away. I still don't know if it was more from the music itself or learning that siblings Matthew and Issey Cartlidge are 17 and 19, respectively. Regardless, youth has not been wasted on these two youth. Credit their dad. Early on, he noticed their growing interest in music and opened up his record collection to them. The Jam, Small Faces, The Kinks, XTC, and The Specials became early influences, followed later by The Libertines and Arctic Monkeys. As Issey describes it, much of their musical taste simply came from what they grew up hearing at home.
Early on in their playing together, their aim was simple, they wanted to play music wherever they could, which led to consistent busking around London. Playing together that often helped shape them as a band. By the time The Molotovs and their debut album, Wasted On Youth, began taking shape, their sound and look were fully formed.
On Wasted On Youth, the band draws from groups they love, including Buzzcocks, The Libertines, The Horrors, The Jam, Sex Pistols, and The Undertones. Those influences are easy to hear throughout the album. There’s the energy of punk, the sharpness of Mod, and the hooks of Britpop, all played with the kind of youthful enthusiasm you would expect from a band this young.
What I love about Wasted On Youth is just how much fun it is to listen to. These kids are onto something here. Something pretty special.
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