This is a review of "Untitled" recorded by Your New Antique. The review was written by Kate Zezulka in 2007.

Your New Antique seem to have a solid formula for a fierce double-pronged attack on the music scene. The first of these slightly threatening-sounding prongs is one of the most efficient ways to endear your band to the media, which in this case comes in the form of a press pack. Aside from being one of the most impossibly comprehensive press releases known to man – from which you can learn that this alternative four-piece outfit formed at Huddersfield University, see a list of all their gigs you foolishly missed since 2006 and a whole hoard of other things that most information harvesters love – it also comprises a captivatingly droll biography. Disarmingly so, in fact. While this is arguably a total irrelevance (it probably is), it does make you wish that all bands were as organised and articulate as this. Bonus points to them for being so media-shrewd.

So to the second aspect of this invasion: musically, this demo is highly impressive. Parts tussle for attention with feverish speed and beguiling power, each one obviously having been lavished with plenty of attention and care. Drum parts are driving and often remarkably frenzied, while the thunderous bass achieves a good sense of the turmoil generally associated with this particular sub-genre of alternative rock. There are some wailing guitar parts, particularly on the opening track “Heir to Nothing”, and lovely vocals hooks, rendered even more substantial by use of harmony parts. Vocals are somewhat evocative of the legendary Ian Curtis – and consequently all Joy Division’s disciples from Interpol to Editors – with profound depth and full of complexities.

Incidentally, this is also one of the most beautifully produced and mixed unsigned release I’ve heard recently, stylishly capturing the band’s raw vim.

Songwriting is also admirable – I can’t imagine getting exhausted of this even if it was played on constant loop, rather that there are more discoveries to be made, hidden in the tracks’ thick texture – although there is a sense that they’re holding back ever so slightly. There’s nothing wrong with showing your influences on your sleeve, the band’s name itself suggests the positive ‘old-pair-of-jeans’ notion, but it almost seems that the band have been a little anxious to imprint their own trademarks too explicitly on the music.

I suggest Your New Antique go out, all guns blazing, equipped with their musicality and strong sense of melody but with perhaps an added dash of audacity. How does that sound for a battle-plan?