There is something transportive about “Pleasure”, the fifth album by transatlantic duo Young Gun Silver Fox. With this latest release, Andy Platts and Shawn Lee take their signature West Coast pop-soul sound and polish it into something that feels both classic and quietly radical – a shimmering escape hatch from a world that’s become too loud, too fast, and far too serious.
From the opening bars, it’s clear the pair aren’t just retro obsessives. They’re craftsmen with a deep reverence for the sunlit studio magic of the ’70s and early ’80s, channeling the likes of Steely Dan, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Bobby Caldwell without falling into pastiche. Instead, Pleasure builds on the duo’s decade-long journey, refining their yacht rock credentials with a confidence that can only come from experience.
What’s striking is how effortless it all sounds. Tracks like “Burning Daylight” glide along with tight rhythm guitar and breezy brass, while “Born To Dream” could soundtrack a convertible cruise down the Pacific Coast Highway – if your co-pilot happened to be Michael McDonald in his “What a Fool Believes” heyday. There’s bounce, there’s sheen, but also lyrical depth for those willing to look beneath the surface of the sunshine.
Platts and Lee took a new approach to recording this time, swapping files for face time. Meeting in person in Andy’s The Prairie studio in Norfolk, they wrote half the album in just a few days, and that immediacy seeps into the music. “Late Night Last Train” floats with a dreamlike intimacy, capped by a guitar solo that feels pulled from the ether – definitely one of the album highlights. Meanwhile, the lead single “Stevie & Sly” finds the duo paying homage to their heroes while crafting a groove distinctly their own.
Horn arrangements sparkle thanks to a tight-knit trio of guest players, but otherwise, it’s Platts and Lee running the show – producing, performing, and engineering like a two-man wrecking crew with vintage soul in their veins.
The result is a record that doesn’t chase trends but creates a microclimate of its own: warm, melodic, and inviting. Pleasure isn’t just a nostalgia trip – it’s a reminder that musical escapism can still be sophisticated, and that timeless grooves never go out of style.
