Tuesday 28 February 2012

The 2kDozen 500: #78 - Yeti Lane, "The Echo Show"

Gallic dream pop, eh? One of the gents on the cover looks a wee bit like Brian Eno. Is that a good omen?

"Analog Wheel" opens with some purposeful squelching synth and sense of playfulness, and some whistling. There may be words about going into hiding for a while. Second track, "The Echo Show", escalates in increasingly giddy fashion, upwards and upwards like something shooting out of Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. Third track "Warning Sensations" keeps the cheerful plates spinning again. There's no long-burning fuse here, it's pretty immediate; impatient almost.


"Logic Winds" carries the mood on over the horizon with a Jonathan Richman chug, gears and pinions squealing. "Strange Call" operates with an Echo & The Bunnymen swagger initially before a cataclsym of harmonies and "Alba" has a vintage feel to it, maybe a touch of OMD but with that Gallic multi track musical rainbow trailing all their movements. Don't seem to be that many lyrics and I pick up on even fewer of them.

The titleless track between "Alba " and "Dead Tired" has some glorious guts, some moaning backward guitar scrawled across glacial synthworks. (I know the ice/electronics thing is tired; but those metaphors keep bobbing up for more.) There's a touch of the music to Hitch-hikers Guide, but soon as it arrives, it's gone and the less fascinating, dreamy big pop sound is back.

There is a resurgence of interesting noises at the beginning of "Sparkling Sunbeam", but nothing is really breaking through to the other side. Perhaps the vocals aren't strong enough. Even the titles beginning to read hollow. I'm disappointed again. I need a new album this week to invigorate me. I was hoping it might be the new "Shangaan Shake" compilation of South African electronic dance music. What I've heard is great. But I can't find anywhere to stream it yet.

This album isn't out until March but can be streamed here - http://thequietus.com/articles/08095-yeti-lane-the-echo-show-stream. Give it a go.

Rating: I'm Beginning To Feel out of Step

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