I spoke with Young Man‘s Colin Caulfield last October (for the full BestNewBands.com exclusive interview, please click here), but I still had yet to see any of his performances in person until the mega-behemoth festival that is South by Southwest. The Parish was already packed by the time he went on at 11pm last Wednesday night, and you could just feel the anticipatory energy coming from the audience as we all waited for “the big boys” (ironic considering this project’s title) to take the baton from the baby bands playing the earlier spots. His music was much more jam and prog-oriented than I had remembered, and it was a pleasant surprise to hear a band that cared more about their craft than their image. But his voice was just as sweetly strained as it was on the album, if not perhaps more emotive in person. Even while filming, I was bemoaning the poor sound quality (the bass is insanely overpowering) and hoping that was just a first-night blunder that would soon be corrected as the festival went on. But alas, the majority of shows that I attended sounded like they had been mixed by a hard of hearing beginner engineer (if it all), so apologies to our readers and listeners if the sound is a bit intense. If you’re going to SXSW next year, I suggest you bring several pairs of earplugs if you want to enjoy the music and what little aural facility you have left.

Young Man‘s 8-track album Boy is now available for purchase on his website here. His single “Up So Fast” was recently released in the UK and is available on iTunes here. You can even watch the official video below! For more information on his upcoming tour dates, please visit Young Man‘s website here.