William S. Burroughs once wrote, “When you stop growing, you start dying.” In many ways, these words from the long-gone Beat Generation writer still ring true, at least in the psyche of today’s 20-somethings: We fear adulthood, we fear responsibility, we fear what we see as an inevitable life of boredom stretching like a horizon to an unknown point of death.
These may just be melodramatic musings from a quarter-life crisis, but we do hold on to youth for as long as possible, whether that means getting drunk and chain-smoking cigarettes or spending a whole weekend playing the latest version of Halo. It’s this phenomenon—and the inevitable lack of self-worth that can come from it—that Portland-based duo SOS explores in their newest single, “Youth in Decline.”
Despite its bittersweet meaning, the song is undoubtedly a jam. Lead vocalist Randa Leigh sends her breathy vocals riding over Brian Vincent’s industrial-pop production. A potent dose of hi-hat and the ever-grabbing “woof” of recent production-heavy tracks hint at the pulse of the world after dark, while the chorus laments “I think I’m better, better off / when I’m drunk or high / let our youth decline.” “Youth in Decline” is an oxymoron—it’s exactly the kind of song that fuels those late nights that keep us running from adulthood, and it’s just good enough to pull us back time and time again.