Hello Heaven, Hello 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.”
The album is organized around the two title tracks, “Idols Pt. I” and later “Idols Pt. II” that helps with steering the ship towards the sunset. The second single of “Lovesick Lullaby” is more in line with the material I had come to expect from Yungblud’s repertoire, but he brings his solid punk rock energy into songs like this to make them utterly memorable. The chorus of, “‘Cause I, I wanna feel good emotions in this lovesick lullaby” is straight to the point after the verses are packed with stories of relationships and nights out at the pub having one too many. The album’s best song comes in the form of the ballad, “Zombie”, that is incredibly poised from this young artist peaking at the right time and moment in his career. Yungblud croons, “If I was to talk about the words / They would hurt / So if you were to ask about the pain / I would lie / To fix my mind / I need time / But it’s running out, it’s running out,” and you can feel heartache and frustration in his vocal performance that showcases his human vulnerabilities.
”The Greatest Parade” follows with a steady drum beat and a captivating vocal performance from Yungblud as he does some pretty impressive falsetto in the closing choruses to showcase his growth as a vocalist. Songs on the back half of the record like the piano-driven “Change” find Yungblud diving headfirst into Elton John-esque territory with his great vocal performance paired with some deep lyrical material. “Change / Oh, nothing’s better than a change / Another place to start / I’ll never forget that I need you,” paints a picture of a man looking for a fresh start and yet still willing to step into his persona of a legitimate rockstar. More vulnerable songs like “Monday Murder” are well-orchestrated and continue to highlight Yungblud’s growth as a songwriter and performer, as he swoons over the great guitar-laced sections. The second verse of, “Play out your bombs / So long, explode into the sky / Sing your war song / We’ll fight for a beautiful life,” is gorgeously sung, even if the lyrical material is depressing in its context of war. His hopes for a better outlook for everyone’s lives are relatable and comes across as genuine.
The key track of “Ghosts” pays homage to U2 with its well-built up refrain of “My God, what a beautiful scene / Now I know what you mean / Wanna stay here forever / God, what a beautiful scene / Now I know what you mean / You’re my gateway to Heaven,” with an Edge-stylized guitar riff that evokes tons of positive emotions. Yungblud puts his feet to the “Fire” as he toys with the emotions of wanting more fans to join his growing army, while “War” features a great section of lyrics as he sings, “Did you see the beauty in the fall? / Does it make you happy when I break down? / We start a revolution, then we stop again / Again,’ and it’s easy to buy into the big risks that Yungblud took here on Idols. The album closer of “Supermoon” leaves the audience with some solid guidance as he ends with, “‘Cause they won’t ask if you’re feeling strong enough / ‘Cause they won’t ask, they don’t know what it is that they love / Any more than you do / So don’t be sad, don’t be sad.”
Some say that the albums that stick with us are the ones that catch us by surprise and where you didn’t know that the artist you were casually listening to had one of these epic works of art in their arsenal. Idols was exactly that for me, and it made me an immediate fan of this brand of brash rock that Yungblud dove headfirst into here. If you take nothing else away from listening to Idols, realize that Yungblud genuinely cares about anyone who takes the time to listen to his music, connect with him, or find beauty in the unknown. This is his moment, and yet he’s more than happy to share this time with all of us. A rockstar with solid morals is hard to find, but Yungblud has arrived in a big way on Idols.