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Chloe Slater’s debut album ‘Riot Youth’ seems to unfold in the fleeting, chaotic moments before doomsday – a coming of age record fit for the modern world. It arrives right on time inan era when hopelessness and nihilism run rife, painting the truest portrait of what it is to be young, British, and brave enough to be hopeful today.
Across 10 tracks, Slater departs her signature, succinct commentary on the issues plaguing her generation: social divide, toxic internet culture, our dwindling sense of community, the climate crisis and, ultimately, the vampirish billionaire class cashing in on our collective misery.
Slater began carving out her witty yet pointed take on protest music with her debut EP, ‘You Can’t Put A Price On Fun’, in 2024, which was swiftly followed up with ‘Love Me Please’ the
following year. Both projects showcase her undeniable skill as a lyricist, introduce her as a promising new voice in indie rock, and see her take hold of a torch lit by great British songwriters before her – those who have also woven gold from the bleak circumstances of their own generations.
On ‘Riot Youth’, Slater shifts from these frank descriptions of society to moments of gorgeous, gut-punching poetry, crafting anthemic choruses and intoxicating one-liners from the gripes many of us can barely muster the words for.
In doing so, Slater has earned herself a devoted fanbase, racking up almost 2 million likes on TikTok alone.
Meanwhile, she’s quickly making a name for herself as a live performer not to miss, opening for Alessi Rose, Role Model and Courtney Bartnett over the past two years, as well as taking to the stage at Glastonbury and the prestigious BRITs Fringe showcase.
Beyond soundtracking this peculiar moment of history, Slater hopes ‘Riot Youth’ will shake us out of our tendency to seek constant distraction and instead prompt conversation. “We're upset about the way the world is, but we feel like we can't change it, so we go and listen to music,” she says. “I just hope this is the kind of music that is comforting but not distracting. It’s addressing how people are feeling, and it's saying that we can make a change.”
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Thekla, The Grove, BS1 4RB Bristol, United Kingdom, 5 The Grove, Bristol, BS1 4, United Kingdom
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