Review By Dan Fister
June 15, 2020
Ordering Information
Youngblood streams on Spotify and Apple Music.
A cappella rock fans will jam out to this cover of Youngblood from the Hullabahoos. Soloist Jalon Daniels delivers fluid runs that sit perfectly in the pocket of the song’s groove. Daniels's solo is not just well-executed: he sings with a strong, smooth timbre throughout his range and exudes energy as the leader of this anthem.
The Hullabahoos produce a big sound, especially when the whole group sings together, and the track’s sterling sound quality displays the resonance beautifully. Bass and baritone boom in the mix, befitting a rock tune. At times though, the subtle lines in the upper voices are drowned out by the heavy lower sounds, particularly the vp’s bass hits.
While a decent track overall, making any kind of bold choice would have pushed it over the top for me. Built squarely around a solo and a bass line, this 5 Seconds of Summer song allows for a lot of play in the sounds, texture, dynamics, and even genre of the arrangement. Little about the Hullabahoos version stands out or takes advantage of the a cappella musical medium. Relatedly, the dramatic range of the track is very small. Though not quite static, the track settles into one sound and rarely strays or expands upon it.
I can imagine the Hullabahoos and their audiences bopping their heads while they jam out to Youngblood live. But their conventional cover could use some creativity to bring this recording to the next level.