AMG Review of Sapphie

Nitsuh Abebe
All Music Guide

Sapphie consists of three extended compositions dedicated to the memory of a pet Alsatian (for whom the record is named); using only a nylon-stringed guitar and his amazing vocals, Youngs crafts three gorgeous, desolate and heartbreaking ballads -- throughout almost 40 minutes, the record never ceases to be stunningly beautiful, making an incredibly strong entry into the long line of Scottish singer/songwriters to compose in this intimate, strongly melodic style. Sapphie is, in most respects, the most pop-oriented and traditionally beautiful piece in Youngs' catalog, and should appeal across all genre distinctions as one of the most unceasingly lovely and unflinchingly intimate recordings in a long, long while.