American Wrestlers: Goodbye Terrible Youth

Sometimes jarring changes of scenery can do a world of good for artists. Take the case of American Wrestlers’ Gary McClure, for instance. Born in Scotland, he eventually embraced the Manchester music scene (as one half of the shoegaze-inspired Working For a Nuclear Free City), met an American woman (and fellow musician) studying overseas, fell in love and moved to St. Louis to marry her.

Whether or not McClure’s relocation to the American Midwest — where he initially worked in a UPS warehouse — has anything to do with the subsequent creative spark that followed is hard to tell. Initially cutting an album as the one-man American Wrestlers before making the follow-up with fellow musicians, the band’s sound has distinctly British influences, but there’s also a sunny power-pop vibe that recalls such American musical titans as Brian Wilson, Big Star and Television. The sound on Goodbye Terrible Youth definitely benefits from the beefed-up sound of additional musicians, which include bassist Ian Reitz, drummer Josh Van Hoorebeke, and McClure’s wife — who sports the massively rock-and-roll moniker Bridgette Imperial — on keyboards.

Judging strictly by its title, album opener “Vote Thatcher” has the potential to be an ironic British political polemic on the level of the Clash or Billy Bragg, but the lyrics don’t bear it out too clearly. “Still can’t believe you died /Still can’t believe you died,” the chorus goes on and on. Who died? Maggie Thatcher? Youthful idealism? The labor party? McClure’s childhood dog? Good question. As an opening track, it works spectacularly, brash guitars crashing down and Imperial’s keening cheesy organ picking up the pieces.

“Give Up” keeps the Northern English influences in check, with a simple, sophisticated lead guitar figure straight out of the Johnny Marr playbook and a bouncy, upbeat power-punk melodicism reminiscent of the Housemartins. Upon my first complete listen of Goodbye Terrible Youth, I described them on social media as “the Smiths fronted by Paul Heaton, draped in shoegaze”, and for the most part, I stand by the description, particularly when McClure is deeply entrenched in the sound of his native United Kingdom.

But the sound of his new home also shines through, particularly on “Terrible Youth”, which combines a jangly California buzz with the melodic punch of the aforementioned Big Star. “Now they’re done with you / Goodbye terrible youth,” McClure croons in the chorus, which is followed by a euphoric guitar solo that sounds like it was hijacked from a classic rock station.

Songs like the hazy “So Long” manage to skip back and forth between a distorted gallop of rhythm guitars and a wall of retro synthesizer fuzz, bringing old-school college radio to the dancefloor, but there are plenty of moments of more complex songcraft as well. “Amazing Grace” shifts gears with a more restrained, mid-tempo chug. “Laid up on your own / Where useless stands for suffering and shame / There’s no other way / Where people sing amazing grace.” Again, what is McClure referring to? His sudden proximity to the Bible Belt? Who know, but the songs sound great and he’s clearly tapped into some magical combination of Americana and Britpop. And that’s a tough trick to pull off.

Under Gary McClure’s clear and eclectic direction, American Wrestlers have the potential to win over legions of fans based on their broad musical range. Goodbye Terrible Youth is music for tiny, sweaty clubs, with amps turned up loud and a knack for sophisticated tunes at the ready.