A year and a half ago we were already looking forward to the full-length debut of The Haunted Youth, finally the Belgian indie band centered around Joachim Liebens fulfills that wish. On Dawn Of The Freak you’ll hear ten songs that are as good as hoped for, dark and mesmerizing hits with their roots in the eighties: jangling guitars, melancholic synths and dreamy vocals. Half of the tracks were previously released as singles – I always find it a shame when a band’s first successful steps are left out on their first LP, so I’m very glad they were included here – and the fresh tunes fit in seamlessly. The record kicks off with the cinematic instrumental title track, an almost classical introduction to the highlights that follow – it’s a perfectly constructed album, well thought out and sounding like the masterpiece it is. You can call it psychedelic shoegaze, dream pop or autumn music, but above all it is an addictive trip – a glorious debut. Below you can listen to the first single from early 2021, Teen Rebel, and two new ones, of which closing track Fist In My Pocket is an atypical surprise.
Dawn Of The Freak, composed, written and produced by Joachim Liebens, is out now digitally, on CD and vinyl LP through Mayway Records.
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