Today youbet, the NYC-based outfit led by songwriter Nick Llobet, releases two new songs from their debut album Compare & Despair (recommended by Big Thief in their recent AMA), out January 31st. These new singles, like all his songs, thrive in the contrast between the music’s youthful, upbeat feverishness and his wry, dark and honest perspective.
“Endless,” the album opener, is a bright slice of tape-manipulated psychedelia.. Llobet contrasts the mirth of the sound with dark lyrics, singing in his inimitable high-pitched vocal, “my endless list of things to do just gets longer / gotta put you down / my friend, my suffering / goodbye to you.”
On “Mental” Llobet turns frenetic, as he races over drums, drum machines, guitars and synthesizers, a colorful cacophony that accompanies more brutally honest lyrics: “Mental illness / it grabs you and pulls you down under… and it’s hard to go to work / and it’s hard to speak your mind / you don’t know what to do / when it’s hard to be alive.”
Both songs were recorded by the group of Nick Llobet, Julian Fader (Ava Luna), Katie Von Schleicher and Adam Brisbin (Sam Evian) in Maryland and New York.
youbet have also announced their album release show February 8th at Alphaville, with support from Lina Tullgren, Joanna Sternberg and Maneka. Tickets are on sale Friday, Nov. 22nd.