Album review: You Me At Six – Truth Decay

'I’m about to have a fuckin’ breakdown, throw a peace sign on my way out,' screams Josh Franceschi on Breakdown, halfway through Truth Decay. You Me At Six have never strayed too far from their distinct sonic footprint, and their lyricism here is as smart as ever (this is the band who once said ‘I’m in a different district, Hunger Games’, let’s not forget).

There aren’t many records that capture the spirit of Gen Z defiance without trying too hard and making it into a cringefest motivational speech, but the Surrey quintet have made it work. Here, a track like God Bless The ’90s Kids glimmers with sliding bass and Josh’s trademark sulky-nuanced vocals; ‘They never know when to quit, they write their own scripts’, he chants over the chorus, honouring the millennials and early Gen Z kids who are shaking up change.

Of course, it only makes sense to feature Enter Shikari’s Rou Reynolds on such a statement of an album, as No Future? Yeah Right continues to fuel the fire. But Truth Decay isn’t all angst - there’s a dark romance to this album. A Smile To Make You Weak(er) At The Knees feels rosy and nostalgic, and A Love Letter To Those Who Feel Lost (featuring Cody Frost), brings things back down to a place of letting go of the frustration – ‘Take it as it comes’, the two vocalists tell us. It's completely enchanting way to end, and you listen to their every command.

Truth Decay is an album that sees You Me At Six grabbing elements from 2014’s Cavalier Youth and 2010’s Hold Me Down. Then it wraps them up into a time capsule of what it means to be a young adult in the ever-difficult 2020s.

Verdict 4/5

For fans of: Deaf Havana, Young Guns, The Maine

Truth Decay is out February 10 via Underdog

Read this: You Me At Six: “Showing pain doesn’t make you weak. You’re just human”