Leave it to Flydaddy, Seattle's most eclectic and unpredictable label, to release a record such as this. Hip Young Things are a German four-piece whose American debut, Deflowered, was initially released on Glitterhouse in Europe, but impressed the folks at Flydaddy so much they just had to put it out here. The 10 songs that make up this disc display a great deal of musical maturity and development, sounding as though these four have been playing together for years. There are shades of indie-rock faves such as Smashing Pumpkins, Silkworm, and other rhythmically dynamic units, but none of the material is overtly derivative. It's a pleasant romp through some easily digested yet powerful guitar rock, accentuated by strong vocals and very tight musicianship. Definitely nice to listen to, but their take on the boys with loud guitars is none too different from everybody else's. And while every new rock band doesn't have to sound different, having some real defining aspect certainly would make Hip Young Things at least a little more distinctive and worth singling out as something to look into. --Adem Tepedelen