Young Francis Hi-Fi plays Bubblegum Punk – Two-minute songs about girls, getting high, and hanging out we here at RPM HQ fully endorse that, and by the sounds of it it’s a wham bang thank you mam experience. Full-throttle lo-fi garage fuzz thrashing away at every opportunity is definitely something we can get behind. Some of these songs have been around for a while in demo form but they’ve been given an adrenaline shot and a rough house fucking up to toughen them up thanks to some fine additions to the cause from the Rough Gutts, Rotten Foxes gang.

As one song smashes into the next with little variation in the pace or the lyrical content its small fractions of separation and when done by professionals such as Young Francis Hi-Fi that’s a plus point and songs like ‘Short Hair Girl’ hit the lyrical genius spot that sends the pleasure endorphins flying around the body and brain. Great lyrics like Having short hair means you use less shampoo show that a genius is at work here it’s not a simple pleasure. With a sound somewhere between the Hip Priests covering Toilet Boys while reading a secret stash of Bunty magazine. You only need to look at the artwork on the jacket. It should come with a health warning and impressionable teens should approach with caution, these gents could ruin a teenager’s mind with this Rock n’ Roll they peddle, but they do look like fine specimens of what a rock n roll gang should look like in 2023.

They claim to have something to say so we’re all ears. We might have seen it all before but it’s been a long time coming and besides we are total suckers when it sounds this good. ‘Don’t Break My Heart’ is a thrashing banger and sets the tone for the best display of this genre in a long while in the shape of the banger that is ‘Jenny Jenny’ What a whopper of a tune it is.

When you read the band’s mantra and lifestyle philosophy goes something like living by the beach and loving the sunshine, and bubblegum and falling in love. They also love punk, denim, and getting fucked up. Growing up wanting to be in a gang, like all their favourite bands you can’t help but want to get involved. They dress in the Hi-Fi uniform, but we’re all different. Young Francis is the leader of the pack, Jimi is the sun who shines on us all, Danny Joe has a heart of gold and Bobby binds us together.

You can sing along to the trashy ‘Do You Like Good Music’. Of Course, we do which is why we’re head over heels for The Young Generation. The breakdown is delightful as is the tambourine and handclaps fucking with some Hanoi Rocks melodies and singalongs – bloody great stuff.

The smash-and-grab riff-a-rama of ‘Dance If You Wanna’ is electric and a real statement of intent. It’s pop music that’s getting nasty with some nasty punk rockers and the floor tom rattle is brilliant old-school glam snotty punk.

13 songs in 27 minutes tell you these cats aren’t mucking about here, they’re drinking fast, playing fast, and moving fast. Get involved before it’s too late and they’ve gone up in flames either on a one-way ticket to hell in a scandalous tale of rock n roll infamy or straight to the top.

‘Girls Like You’ is the best song I’ve heard in a while and if you dont like it then I’m afraid we can’t be friends and I’m gonna et everyone know you don’t have any good taste in music. I love they have a bad attitude its part of what makes them so attractive as a propersition – well that and the rock n roll and deliberate double denim. Settle down ladies and gents there’s plenty of them to go around and they have the finest soundtrack for making out but be careful, ‘Gimme A Kiss’ is a racey ditty that could cause injury if not danced to properly thrusting can put your hip out or cause irreparable damage but the soundtrack will make it fine. To bring this barnstormer to a close they fire off ‘101’ and promptly fuck off as quickly as they came. Wear denim, fascial hair, high tops, and a shit-kicking grin it’s all you need – oh, and a copy of this record. Now be gone and turn it up high as fuck, it’s worth it because you are worth it, Young Francis Hi-Fi should be your new squeeze because their album is the dog’s bollocks and packed full of essential tunes.

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Author: Dom Daley