Bright Young Things

So often are Bright Young Things compared to Big Star that the young Raleigh quintet would probably be sick of it already if it weren’t such a compliment. Fortunately, the comparison is as appropriate as it is convenient:  Guitar-slinging songwriters Matt Damron and Cameron Lee share Alex Chilton and Chris Bell’s innate knack for crafting tunes that seem instantly familiar with effortless melodies, grand choruses and a bevy of harmonies accenting lovelorn lyrics.

They’re no slouches when it comes to their instruments, either.  Tasty lead guitar licks play off Mark Connor’s bold bass grooves and Scott Andrews’ rhythmic piano bounces and organ flourishes, following the lead of Will Goodyear, whose savvy drumming serves the songs without overshadowing them. Though Bright Young Things certainly live by the precepts of classic guitar pop, they’re hardly revivalists. Instead, they’re revisiting that sound through the lens of modern indie sensibilities and a dose of Wilco-branded, roots-rooted pop rock. Comparisons may be tough to shake, but having been thrown in the company of pop nobility, Bright Young Things is rising to the challenge. —Spencer Griffith