After a barrage of throwbacks and reboots, it’s safe to say the last ten years utilized nostalgia far more than experimentation. That’s not exactly a bad thing though. The previous decade went so far out of leftfield, it was nice to see some styles and genres make a comeback. Especially for those too young to fully appreciate certain genres no longer relevant in the mainstream. Somewhere in between experimentation and cold hard comfort is Young Gun Silver Fox and their latest 45 Take It Or Leave It/Mojo Rising on Soul Step Records.
Made up of Andy Platts of Mamas Gun and super-producer Shawn Lee, Young Gun Silver Fox are no strangers to what some would call ‘yacht rock’. Their debut record West End Coast back in 2016 introduced the youngsters to duo’s beach bleached vibes and Fleetwood Mac-esque artistry. But at that particular time, the masses weren’t sure if the yacht rock revival should be taken seriously. Driving it home a legitimate force to be reckoned with was the follow-up AM Waves 2018.
The 2 strongest tracks (and my personal favorites) from that record, “Take It Or Leave It” and “Mojo Rising” is the perfect introduction to not only AM Waves and Young Gun Silver Fox but maybe the lost art of soft rock as well. The silky smooth vocals and champagne flavored melody of “Take It Or Leave It” is like Steve Wonder joined The Doobie Brothers. Meanwhile, “Mojo Rising” channels the confident swagger of Curtis Mayfield elevated with background vocals that’d make Hall & Oates proud.
Despite all the callbacks to the late 70s and early 80s, Young Gun Silver Fox isn’t a novelty act playing on nostalgia. They might flirt with some of the tropes and wink at their influences, but the production and performances match anything anyone is listening to today. I may go as far as to say, the reason why they lift from the AM era, is simply because those songs are still good. Perhaps Platts and Lee are simply picking up where the long-forgotten sub-genre left off?
Issued on limited edition random colored vinyl, Soul Step Records kicks starts the new decade with a bang! As Young Gun Silver Fox prep for a new album later this year, Take It Or Leave It/Mojo Rising is the perfect record to catch up with and see what they’re all about. As for Soul Step, I’m certain this is just the first of many high-quality releases for their second decade of music.
Take It Or Leave It/Mojo Rising is available at Soul Step Records.
