Just a few songs into their career, Catch The Young have displayed a sonic versatility. Their music has a ton of potential, but often feels undercut by limited ambition and hesitant execution. Watching the teasers for Dream It, I hoped the group would return to the 80’s cheese of their debut. Unfortunately, that decade turns out to be more of a visual aesthetic than a driving force behind the music.

On the plus side, Catch The Young feel more polished with each release. This was my major worry back when Youth!! stumbled awkwardly out of the gate. But as their skill has improved, the music has gotten duller. Dream It wants to be a singalong anthem but struggles to capture the energy (or hooks) needed for that desire. Instead, the song passes by amiably without leaving much of an impression at all. It’s a shame, because I’m digging the use of keytar — an underrated instrument if ever there was one!

Grade: C