Adrian Younge: ‘Younge’

Everything you love about classic big bands with loads of strings combines with modern rhythms and instrumentation on the new self-titled album from the genius that is Adrian Younge.

We’ve heard much of Younge’s production and collaborations with the Jazz Is Dead record label and his solo work seems to allow him even more expressive and creative freedom. Younge is pure class, from the opening bars of Portschute (cleverly selected as the lead single) right through the nine tracks to the definitive conclusion of Il Mattino as strings and solo sax stake their claim to a contender for anyone’s Album of the Year.

There’s a quasi-orchestral feel to the electronic masterpiece Galt which builds unwaveringly into a brief, cinematic string-driven epic, adding in more electronics and sax - all alongside a groove that exudes both hip hop modernity and something of the early James Bond theme tunes.

Take any track on Younge and uncover the musical dexterity of compositions and arrangements. The all-too-brief Moon Travelling should have been part of the recent Artemis coverage, combining tricky sax parts and expansive strings.

Wherever you start with Younge, the tunes are stunning, beautifully performed and produced. I’m tipping this not only for Album of the Year, but also for Grammy contention.

‘Younge’ is released on 17 April 2026 via Linear Labs