Young Rising Sons - Oblivious | Single REVIEW
April 17 | Written By Calvin Phang
Oblivious, I’m oblivious! Young Rising Sons released their track Oblivious off of the band’s latest EP titled Young. Young Rising Sons are an American alternative rock band formed in 2010 with roots originating from Red Bank, New Jersey, United States. The band comprises of Andy Tongren (Lead guitarist and Singer), Max Iantorno (Guitar), Julian Dimagiba (Bass, Guitar), and Steve Patrick (Drums). Young EP is Young Rising Sons 5th EP which follows the band’s first full-length album, Still Point in a Turning World which was released in the previous year. The full-length of Young EP was officially released on the 27th of January 2023 consisting of four tracks, with one of them being Oblivious.
Young EP was recorded at the Sons Recording House and it was produced by Tongren and Jackson Hoffman, a producer, songwriter and mixer from Queens, New York. The band also collaborated with Micah Jasper, a famed composer, producer, and guitarist that has composed multiple tracks for Rebecca Black in the writing of Young EP. Oblivious was dropped at midnight on the 6th of January 2023 as a surprise release, 3 weeks prior to Young EP’s official release.
The melody within Oblivious is very much inspired by the band’s alternative rock and pop rock genre topped off with an uplifting and exhilarating beat. The track is abundantly vocal about the difficulties of feeling disconnected to reality when faced with personal problems. Subsequently, one may be tempted to instead turn a blind eye as a means of escape. This track strongly resonates with the emotions felt by many trapped within the unending rat race of the present day.
Unsurprisingly, the musical elements present within Oblivious makes it the standout track of Young EP. Oblivious kicks off the intro with Patrick’s rhythmic drumming and Tongren invigoratingly singing ‘Oblivious, I’m oblivious!’ which bridges the intro and the verse. The track is subsequently followed by Dimagiba’s groovy bassline at the beginning of the verse and Iantorno’s riveting guitar which emerges at the middle of the verse. Oblivious’ timbre emits a bright, energetic, and buzzy tone throughout the track and is built upon a homophonic texture. On top of that, the meter used in Oblivious is a 4 beats per bar (4/4) time signature and runs on a tempo of 158 beats per minute (bpm). The track can also run on 79 bpm at half-time or 316 bpm at double-time. The duration of the track spans for 3 minutes and 4 seconds long with a major mode and a D key.
In essence, the lyric of Oblivious depicts a sense of detachment from reality coupled up with a disregard for the arising consequences. A string of downhearted lyrics within the chorus such as ‘I got a glass half full of flat champagne, I got a real fast car without the brakes’ further indicates that one is using distractions in search of an eternal escape from the issues faced in reality. With the former implying that one used to have something good which ultimately turned bad, the latter suggesting that one is unable to put oneself in the driver’s seat of their life. The final verse then ends with a toast to the good and bad, heavily implying that one has finally accepted the situation and is ultimately ready to move on for the greater good. Climactically, Oblivious is undeniably a breath-taking, transcending, and uplifting track that exemplifies Young Rising Sons’ creativity and remarkable song-writing capabilities. Oblivious and Young EP may very well nudge Young Rising Sons towards the recognition and credit that they truly deserve.