New Young Romantics

If you’re anything like me, and I know many of you are, you grew up on a lot of ’80s and ’90s-era British guitar pop. Why? In my case, Brit bands seemed allowed a larger breadth of sensitivity and intelligence than their constantly macho Yankee colleagues. And, of course, there are those accents: romantic, working class, exotic and endlessly cool. Has the sound aged? Certainly. But in the end, haven’t we all?

Sheffield, England’s The Crookes, touring in support of their latest release Lucky Ones, recall many bands from that golden age of British indie pop. Throughout the new record, tempos exhilarate while keys stay minor and chiming guitar riffs and synth-pop hooks undercut soaring choruses and wordy, literate verses.

Don’t even get me started on the band’s press photos in a musty old used bookshop with charmingly mussed-up British schoolboy hair and collared shirts.

The leadoff single, “The World is Waiting,” mixes shuffling British pub rock with Modern English. Vocalist George Waite captures those teenage moments when he sings: “I don’t wanna stay in but I don’t know where to go.” And elsewhere, from “I Wanna Waste My Time On You,” he sing-croons alongside a Psychedelic Furs-like guitar line: “I don’t know where I belong/ I don’t know where I’ve gone wrong.”

Oh, be still my teenaged heart — and teenaged hearts everywhere, young and old.

Get ready to pogo when The Crookes play with Great Grandpa and The Young Wild 9 pm Saturday, Sept. 17, at WOW Hall; $10 advance, $12 door, 21-plus.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

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None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!