While I have been aware of the artist known as Yungblud for awhile, I honestly never took the time to dive deeper into his discography until now. What I found, when I dove into his latest work, is an artist willing to take big risks in favor of achieving the ultimate reward. Yungblud self-described his fourth studio album of Idols as “a project with no limitations.” It’s easy to see where this pays off on this LP that is brimming with rockstar swagger and great songwriting. Produced alongside longtime Yungblud collaborator/writer, Matt Schwartz, and coming off marquee moments in his career such as an Ozzy Osbourne tribute and a newly announced EP with members of Aerosmith, Idols proves that this young artist has truly arrived and is ready for his moment.

The ambitious record opens with a sprawling nine-minute single of “Hello Heaven, Hello” that takes the listener on a picturesque journey through rock n’ roll lore, and sets the tone for the rest of the great material that follows. The opening lyrics of, “Hello, are you out there? / Are you trying? Are you patient? / Are you blind? / Are you with me? Against me? / Don’t know me at all,” finds Yungblud asking his audience if they’re ready to take this journey with him that plays out like a love letter to classic rock records such as Pink Floyd’s The Wall. Comparisons aside, the opus of an opening statement comes across really well, and it’s a brash way of starting a record that doesn’t conform to industry norms or “rules.”