Existing Digipak AnalysisYou Me At Six – Cavalier Youth

Outside Cover

The barcode is placed strategically on the back to avoid ruining the aesthetics of the front. However, it is large enough to be found easily when being purchased.

The spine of this digipak has the band’s name on it in their typical typography making it easily recognisable, similar to the Final Night of Sin I previously analysed. The album name is also on the spine. This is a popular convention for all music genres. It is practical for when the albums are stacked on a shelf, the owner can easily identify which album it is.

The title of the bands name is at the top of the album so it is obvious to what the product is at a quick glance. The font is also the band’s typical choice. They do this so it is more recognisable and is part of their house style and brand.

The design of this digipak is very aesthetically pleasing. The whole of the outside cover is one panoramic photo.

This is also the bands logo. As it is small it appears in various places in the band’s products including music videos and posters. It is the number six in roman numerals. This represents a lot of power as the romans ruled fiercely.

The main picture of this album cover is the young boy wielding a sword. This is a direct interpretation of the album title. It is also a juxtaposition, as the band’s previous albums were released when they were a lot younger.

The band’s record label BMG has their logo present on the back of the album. It has nothing surrounding it so it stands out against the digipak’s design.

This track list is very simple and it is not even numbered. This is a stark contrast to their other albums where their lists have been more creative. This could be evidence of how they have matured as a band.

Inside CoverThe pictures on the inside of the digipak are photos of the band that they took in LA whist recording the album. This gives the fans an inside into the production of the album.

The drumsticks in the picture have the song titles on them which the drummer, Dan used to record the cited songs. As a way to connect to the fans, he gave away twenty drumsticks, these included and some from live shows to a number of orders for his clothing label. This was a way of promotion for his clothing company as the fans would feel special owning something that has been part of the album.

The colour scheme of this album is a lot lighter compared to previous digipaks. This could be interpreted as the band maturing and this is also reflected in the new sound of the album as the songs being less heavy rock.

The album title is across all three inside panels, with a font that is just an outline. The font across all three panels represents the process of the making of the album. The first is the input, the middle process, and the last the output.

The CD is stored in the sleeve so it does not obstruct the images on the cover. Also, as it is plain white with just the band and album name with the record label’s logo on in black it is not exactly appealing or striking.

This digipak design does not follow the typical conventions of the rock genre as the colours aren’t necessarily dark, however the exposed tattoos do. In spite of this, it could be argued that the typical clothing of the rock genre has changed in recent years. It is now common sight to see bands like this to wear vest tops and in this case, the band is following the conventions and stereotypes of a rock band.

The can of alcohol follows the stereotypical connotations of the rock and roll lifestyle. It indicates that they were drinking whilst recording this album and the filter effect on the images represents the haze that alcohol provides.