SECOND YOUTH - Only Child 12" EP

2026-07-13T10:31:55.000-04:00

Ben from KATER MENU came to the show when my band played Berlin earlier this year, and he generously brought us vegan treats, as well as shirts from his vegan catering business, and this record. I didn’t get a chance to ask what it was, but I put it on when I got home and really dug it!

The first thing that struck me was how cool the record looked. Picture a rather simple and evocative bold artwork with a nice color scheme, but it’s the vinyl that got me excited: beautiful solid blue that matches the cover art/insert, with a large drawing of a stork carrying a baby in a basket silkscreened on the B side. I still didn’t know what to expect and when I put it on the first song immediately made me think of Fat Wreck-era AGAINST ME!, especially in the vocals; but quickly the transition to the next track showcased more of a melodic punk edge not unlike BROADWAY CALLS or later-era LIFETIME. This band would have been all the rage at the turn of the 2000s, but they also have more modern elements. The last song for instance has a more of a ballad vibe and evokes something more along the lines of BALANCE AND COMPOSURE, whose style of rock melodies you can actually hear throughout the record on the more mid-paced parts. The lyrics seem to revolve around family, growing up, and loneliness. You can tell by how well put together this EP is that this is probably not their first band or release; digging on the internet revealed that the SECOND YOUTH seems to be from Italy with members originally from the UK (one of them used to be in THE LEGACY, a great melodic Hardcore band whose EP was on constant rotation back then)

The Counterforce - SECOND YOUTH

SECOND YOUTH - Only Child 12" EP