So, you’re new to You Me At Six, heard they’ve got a new record out, and wondering where to begin? Or maybe you’re an old fan, looking to rekindle the flames? Look no further, Impact Music is here to bring you ten of the best You Me At Six songs so far.
10: ‘The Consequence’, Album: Hold Me Down
Although YMAS’ second record is best remembered for fan favourites ‘Underdog’ and ‘Stay With Me, ‘The Consequence’ outshines them both as the feet-stomping, fist-in-the-air album opener. This is the quintet’s first proper middle fingers-up rock song, sowing the seeds for later classics such as ‘Room to Breathe’, ‘The Swarm’ and even ‘Bite My Tongue’. And though they’ve proved they can do rock better since, ‘The Consequence’ still deserves a spot on the Top Ten – after all, this is where the YMAS we all know and love began.
9: ‘Jealous Minds Think Alike’, Album: Take Off Your Colours
And this is where You Me At Six really began. Regarded as little more than a curio by many post-Sinners Never Sleep fans, and a cult classic amongst hardcore Sixers, Take Off Your Colours contains some truly magical moments of pop punk, falling short against their contemporaries only in the poor production. ‘Jealous Minds Think Alike’ manages to shine over the quality of the recording, though, if only for that killer bridge – which makes this song the most infectious from the band’s debut collection. And that’s really saying something.
8: ‘No One Does It Better’, Album: Sinners Never Sleep
Since ‘Tigers and Sharks’ on Take Off Your Colours, the Surrey boys have been proving that they’re more than a one-trick pony, but ‘No One Does It Better’ was their riskiest single to date. It paid off though, with the sparse verse and melodic, sincere chorus solidifying the song as a fan favourite, and rightly so.
7: ‘Night People’, Album: Night People
Lead singles always get a bad rap, but those disparagers of the upcoming record’s first song really should give it another listen – sure, it might not be the most original song in the world, but what You Me At Six do, they do well. This is definitely a grower, but those who persevere will find a song that’s easy on the ears and deceptively infectious, a welcome first glimpse into the new era of the band. Truly a very good song indeed.
6: ‘Cold Night’, Album: Cavalier Youth
Is this REALLY a You Me At Song? No, really!? Before ‘Give’, this was YMAS at their most mature and, at the same time, poppiest – Cavalier Youth left a bad taste in the mouth for some, but those with open minds found gems such as this and its younger, more daring brother, ‘Be Who You Are’. With an infectious and heart-warming chorus, this song can ward away many of those cold winter nights.
5: ‘There’s No Such Thing as Accidental Infidelity’, Album: Hold Me Down
Forget ‘Fireworks’, ‘Crash’ and ‘Little Bit of Truth’, this is You Me At Six’s stellar ballad. Much less soppy, this song manages to retain its status as a tear-jerker while never slipping into cliché. It also seems to bring together the rest of Hold Me Down, explicitly bringing out the theme (in the awesome song title) only hinted at throughout the rest of the record.
4: ‘Room to Breathe’, Album: Cavalier Youth
Those who said that Cavalier Youth is ‘too pop’ really need to give this and ‘Fresh Start Fever’ a listen. Pure, simple rock with a solid verse and a soaring chorus. An instant classic and a song that’s sure to grace the band’s setlist for years to come.
3: ‘Give’, Album: Night People
‘It’s been a day / it’s felt like an age’ Josh croons over a simple melody in what is his best vocal performance yet. After the mixed reception to ‘Night People’ and ‘Plus One’, this really put the upcoming Night People on the map, with many fans commenting on the YouTube video and the Facebook link that this is their favourite You Me At Six song to date. The first time that chorus hits…
2: ‘Bite My Tongue’, Album: Sinners Never Sleep
Bet you weren’t expecting that, were you? To many, this is THE You Me At Six song, with the Ollie Sykes guest appearance introducing a whole generation of Bring Me The Horizon fans to You Me At Six. Angsty, catchy and sporting a fantastic music video to boot (seriously, check it out), Josh’s confessional attack against the inner tensions of the band serves not just as YMAS’ greatest rock song but also a solemn reminder of how close the band came to breaking up.
With an amazing variety of songs (which admittedly don’t always fit together so well) and a cult following, Sinners Never Sleep is YMAS’ The Black Parade if there ever was one – and though, as evident by Cavalier Youth’s making-of documentary Oceans Away, the band want to break free of the shadow cast by Sinners, it is many fans’ favourite record for a reason. But we need to go right back to the start to find out YMAS’ best song of all time…
1: ‘Always Attract’, Album: Take Off Your Colours
Josh brings in his sister for the band’s only true duet to date. Absolutely years ahead of its time in comparison to the other songs from the record, this is YMAS at their most vulnerable to date. A sing-along and a lullaby at once, if there’s any song that justifies the five-piece as musicians rather than simply another band, it’s this early song, which was the first hint at the heights the band could achieve.
Honourable Mentions: ‘Loverboy’, Sinners Never Sleep; ‘Liquid Confidence’, Hold Me Down; ‘Lived A Lie’, Cavalier Youth.
Matteo Everett
Follow Impact Music on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Spotify.
