Yuck – Stranger Things

Yuck, do you remember them guys from Portland, Oregon that emerged in 2011? They once had a fantastic hit with ‘Get Away’ that brought everyone lulling back to the 1990’s US alt-rock scene, merging everything from Pavement to Sonic Youth with their shoegaze style. Well, they are back.

‘Yuck’ as a band name has always been a struggle with me, it seems a bit too childish and doesn’t seem to bare much significance to anything. It is more a sound that is made in disgust of something but, their music should be taken in subjectivity away from the name – after all, ‘Pavement’ as a name didn’t do much for anyone. Whereas Yuck’s debut played with more 90s US alternative-rock tendencies, everything from Dinosaur Jr to Pavement and beyond, their sophomore effort, Glow & Behold pointed to this side of the pond – here, My Bloody Valentine’s subtle, gentle guitar whips crept around every beat and rhythm and hints of Soulvaki breathed around every note that was ushered. On the whole, Glow & Behold struggled though. Whereas their self-titled debut held standout songs in the form of the aforementioned ‘Get Away’ or ‘The Wall’, the second effort appeared a bit too whimsical. It didn’t so much glow but flickered all it beheld was a whiff of disappointment. So where does that leave their third effort, Stranger Things? After the departure of Blumberg three years ago, prior to the second release, Yuck appeared to have fallen on tricky times when it came to the songwriting process. Does Stranger Things act as the turning point for the newer group or do they resort to the same misfirings? Well, ultimately, it seems they may have veered back on point a little more.

Opening the album is the previously released single ‘Hold Me Closer’. Listening to this, you can’t help but feel the group themselves have found their confidence a little more. Previous stirrings of shoegaze are written off, this is a to-the-point, lo-fi, grunge number. It’s exactly what they needed to be honest. The fuzz of the guitar merges with the scuzzy, over-driven vocals of Max Bloom. It works in a fantastic Gish-era Smashing Pumpkins sort of way. It’s a confident, brave move forward, it doesn’t act as a nervous, dipping-the-toe in the post-Blumberg water move. It instead hits you like they have grasped some dignity, just as the playground kick about might in those closing scenes of whatever cheesy Disney film you are watching. It’s the type that tugs up their jeans and marches over to their aggressor and says “listen to me!”

If this wasn’t enough of a statement, the next track on the album falls at the feet of ‘Cannonball’ – here Bloom spits “Driving off like a cannonball!” in the opening line, the song packs the punch and immediacy that the lyric implicates. It has the poise and aggression of Fugazi and further points to the brave new world they are entering as a band, unafraid and powerfully aggressive. Throughout the song, you can only get the sense that Bloom is making jabs at his previous critics, the lyrics following lament the subject stating how they “watch him fall” and “walk around like they know it all” – this dragging to a real punk conclusion of a song. This sort of revenge theory is something that falls on a double-edged sword, it can often be interpreted as an exceptionally juvenile response if the music does not pack the substance to match – see Crocodiles’ ‘Mirrors’ – as a stand alone song that was great but the album came crashing down around it.

This angst is mirrored in the return to Dinosaur Jr-esque characteristics – ‘I’m Ok’ plays with downtempo rhythms with swelling eruptions of guitar. It showcases the dynamism that Yuck can pack into their sound. When they really put thought and emphasis into songs, they loom much larger and act as the type that would certainly fill John Peel Tents at Glastonbury and the likes. Utilising loud-quiet-loud structures seems to be one of Yuck’s strengths; the voice of Max Bloom is not outrageous and unique in much of the sense, therefore, building songs to scaffold that seems to be the best move.

Tracks such as ‘Like A Moth’ appear to simmer, slightly regrettably. ‘Like A Moth’ packs no real purpose on the album, it comes at an unfortunate time as three tracks in you feel less than captivated by this song. Teenage, scornful vocals fall into some self-righteous category and the song washes over you much in the fashion of Glow & Behold did as an album. It is the tedious nature of songs like this, they sift around a little like lost souls with some irritable whine outlining it. If a band is to take a nosedive in tempo just three tracks in, it feels as if it needs more purpose, more meaning to it than a self-glorifying motion to write ‘the slow song’. It is not a bad song per se, just annoying.

Gestures towards Guided By Voices lie within tracks like ‘Stranger Things’, once again, these are articulated points towards their mid-90s roots. Great melodies are used that define songs — however questionable lyrics are thrown in that take you back to 14-year-old angst with the archetypal ‘I hate myself’. However, ignoring lyrical content, the songs work relatively well as the gentle, melodic soft-rock type. ‘As I Walk Away’ comes in a similar slow-rock, psychedelic vein, this time pausing and waving at the Kurt Vile signature sound. The swap of vocals to a gentle female voice in the form of bassist Mariko Doi is a refreshing change in direction, as the occasional whine of Bloom is passed to one side, the dream-like haze washes in and it feels good. ‘As I Walk Away’ arguably acts as the stand out song, it demonstrates good songwriting abilities and offers the chance for members to step back and let one another come forward rather than the frequent wall of noise sound that is often rested heavily upon by Yuck. ‘Down’, similarly to ‘As I Walk Away’ changes the direction to a slightly more subdued, psychedelic sound. It brings with it a nice dynamic change halfway through. Angsty guitars match Bloom’s vocals whilst swirling keyboards twiddle around in the background in some 80’s sci-fi fashion.

‘Yr Face’ closes the album with the swooning guitars borrowed right out of the back pocket of Kevin Shields. It is relaxing but from an album that promised a change, the punch that earlier tracks promised appear more like finger pokes in the kidneys.

The frustrating thing with Stranger Things on the whole is just the sincerely, anti-climatic feel of the whole thing. From the off, the likes of ‘Cannonball’ and ‘Hold Me Closer’ promise big, brave things. They are wrapped in angst and passion, it feels as if Yuck are bothered again, like they really care. From there onwards though, it just feels as if there are too many fillers, bar the odd couple of songs such as ‘As I Walk Away’ and ‘I’m Ok’. The sound isn’t helped much by the constant lean on the lo-fi aesthetic, it washes too much out, it takes much of the edge off and ultimately it all becomes too nonchalant. Looking at the likes of ‘Hearts In Motion’, they really should be good but they just come across too whimsical. It really irks me though because at times, Stranger Things promises so much, it should be great, the majority of the songs are well crafted, they just fail to find any bite and lyrically, it all seems a bit damp. The good news though is that it is better than Glow & Behold. I have my fingers and toes crossed that when they take it on the road this coming spring and summer, it will bring with it a new energy that the album hints at. Yuck are a band that you really want to be good, you really want them to succeed but they just seem to misfire slightly despite their best efforts.
Tom Churchill

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