The Like Young

Last Secrets

[3/5] Like the White Stripes, Chicago husband/wife duo the Like Young have a familiar setup: Amanda Ziemba on drums, Joe Ziemba on guitar, piano and synthesizer. But unlike that formerly married platinum-selling duo, the Like Young play punkish, garage-friendly indie pop with hooks that come quickly and easily. They also make the most of their stripped-down setup, as the songs never sound lacking, especially with the Ziembas’ pleasing vocal harmonies and call-and-response singing. When Last Secrets works, it’s awesome (“Writhe Like You Mean It,” “Spell It Out”), but thanks in part to sequencing, it drags toward the end. “Obviously Desperate,” track eight, is both literally and otherwise the longest song on the disc, thanks to its synthy, elongated instrumental ending. And though it sounds like a perfect album closer, there are still five songs left to go. By the time the final track starts, repetition has diluted Last Secrets’ charms.
(POLYVINYL) Kyle Ryan