Who would of thought that Youth Group, of all bands, would make it this big? Last time I had the pleasure of reviewing one of their albums, they were a more or less unknown band from Melbourne, with perhaps a little street cred in the indie scene, but not much else. Now, they're being fêted as the big new Aussie act, and this release is being hotly anticipated, not just by the underground scene in Australia, but in North America as well.

Sadly, it's not the "Skeleton Jar" album that is giving them this following, which is a shame given that it was almost perfect from start to finish. But don't look a gift horse in the mouth, because as I said with my last review for these guys, "Albums this good just shouldn't be kept as hidden secrets by a privileged few.", and I still believe that. The oddly titled "Casino Twilight Dogs" perhaps isn't as solid an album as its predecessor, but it's still an incredible effort, and one that will hopefully give the band momentum to get well known.

You see, unlike it's predecessor, which came right out of the blocks with a stunning opening track, the opener here isn't quite as strong. Catching & Killing is still an excellent song, but apart from its chorus, it doesn't really have the hooks that Shadow Land did. It's half-spoken, half-sung verses have all the intelligent, well-considered lyrics that you'd expect from this band, but it's a bit of an odd choice to put such a harsh, unpop song like this at the front of the album.

The real fireworks begin around track three, with the faintly Dylanesque Let It Go, which is an obvious single candidate and one of the best songs that the band has done yet. Also a highlight is Daisychains, which features perhaps the best lines in the album, "How could I finish/What I couldn't start/I'm more General Haig/Than Napoleon Bonaparte". Sorry adds some subtle strings into the mixture, while Sicily is a quiet, brooding piece that attaches a touch of darkness into the album.

Of course, no discussion of this album could be complete without talking about Forever Young. Yes, it's a cover, and yes, it was taken from some trashy American soap show. That's all irrelevant though, because the reason that it's become so successful is simply because it's a great song. The composition is simply stunning, from the spare, looping guitar line that opens the song, to the final crescendo at the end when the band fully lets loose.

"Casino Twilight Dogs" is a lot brighter and relaxed an album than "Skeleton Jar" was, a lot of the darkness and angst that characterised that release has been traded for summery melody and pop perfection. It's maybe a fraction less perfect than its predecessor, mainly due to a few weaker songs in the second half, but even a not-so-good Youth Group album is better than most stuff out there. Another triumph for this band, may they have many more.