I had a fantasy football draft scheduled for last Wednesday night, which happened to be the same night as a Broadberry show I’d been looking forward to for some time. Lucy Dacus… Young Rapids… Manatree… Avers… So I did what any music-loving perennial fantasy failure would do: I went to the Broadberry, found a place to sit, opened up Yahoo’s fantasy app and neglected to pick a running back until the fourth round.
Did I mention I’m terrible at fantasy football? Fortunately, the onstage lineup fared better than my virtual one.
Lucy Dacus kicked things off expertly (more on Dacus to come when I figure out how not to speak in pure hyperbole about how amazing she is) and Young Rapids went next, soundtracking the truly disastrous part of the draft where I thought there were only two rounds left, picked up a defense and a kicker, and then saw I had three more picks to make. I partially blame Yahoo’s mobile draft setup (empty bench spots that made clear how many players still needed to be drafted would have been DELIGHTFUL), but Young Rapids ain’t innocent, either. They made looking down difficult by being adventurous and interesting and cerebral but still totally present and tuneful. Memorable, too: You know that expression about throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks? It’s not just a way to find out if your spaghetti is al dente — same thing happens when you hear a bunch of unfamiliar songs. Some parts stick; many don’t. Yet so much of what Young Rapids did stuck with me, and I couldn’t wait to grab a vinyl copy of their Pretty Ugly LP from the merch table so I could relive what I heard and saw.
“You Won’t” has become a favorite in the week since. It’s busy and gorgeous — a thoroughly entertaining ride, from its sweet start to its sparse finish. Who needs a decent backfield when you have this?
You Hear That 