Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

Manipulation is so rife in the modern world that at times it is almost impossible to see where it begins and where it finishes. Everybody it seems has a long, invisible string attached to them that they dare not step too far out of line lest it be yanked and tugged so hard that falling down, being made an example of, is the least of their problems. Control after all is the name of the game.

For The Juveniles, manipulation, at least in words, deeds and actions, is not up for debate, it is almost a matter of honour not to have anyone hold sway over their actions and for such a band with such a great future ahead of them it is both heartening and reassuring and in their E.P. You Won’t Control Us, that sense of dogged resistance and strength of character is enough to feel your hands clench tightly together and feel the swell of your own burning anger at the state of dominance that governments, corporations and others have over you.

That anger though is in itself controlled and measured, the strings that have been cut from their own minds are still in place enough on their emotions to not let the songs drift into a meaningless rant or unholy mess. They represent the anger of the patient man, something that should never be trifled with. Angry patience, the near divinity of such tolerant ability can be stretched and when the time is right snaps with blow after blow, not out of cruelty or malice but with the feeling of right and truth.

The four songs, Help Me Out, Beat Of A Drum, Seen the Light and the E.P. title track all have that measure of composure so desperately needed, so indispensable to the thought of being able to enjoy a song to the point where it exercises its own domination of spirit. This means that the listener cannot help but whistle or sing out the catchy refrains and buzz words, that a different type of control is meted out, one in which at least has the substance to be enjoyed.

Control is an evil force that stunts creativity and which suggests that independent thought should be neutered and eradicated, The Juveniles rage against that but with a certain kindness and bundles of distracting energy. You Won’t Control Us is a blast that reassures and drives home the need for liberation of spirit.

Ian D. Hall