Album Review - Yuck, 'Glow & Behold'
Yuck
Glow & Behold
Fat Possum
The death of the Rock Star may be benefiting this generation's rock bands when it comes to their evolution. When Van Halen swapped preening peacock David Lee Roth for the more standard wailer Sammy Hagar, the music community was up in arms. Van Halen would never be the same again (even when Roth came back in the '90s and the teens). But what of a relatively successful, humble shoegaze group? In the season of miracles that brought us a new My Bloody Valentine album, Britain's Yuck tiptoed back into the spotlight after parting with original lead singer Daniel Blumberg. Would the resulting album, Glow & Behold, be a major departure from Yuck's blissfully churning sound, or would the remaining threesome (guitarist Max Bloom, bassist Mariko Doi and drummer Jonny Rogoff) stick to the formula? Though the volume and distortion have been nudged down, Yuck stays gorgeously yucky on Glow & Behold. Bloom steps into the lead role with an amble and a wiggly smile, and that "aw, shucks" nature has a Belle & Sebastian aura to it. The title track plays like a delightful Stevie Jackson B&S contribution-- a little twee but just weary enough to not float away in its lightness. For those seeking more grounded works, try the excellent single "Middle Sea." All riveting alterna-rock guitars and pitch-perfect harmonies by Bloom and Doi, this number purrs. Its rubbery riff and splash drumming by Rogoff will send listeners back in time to when rock stars mattered. Congrats, Max Bloom. Your moment in the sun, even if it's partly cloudy, has come.
More from Melissa Bobbitt (See All)
The five people you meet in karaoke bars
Melissa Bobbitt 0Ah, a night out at the Empty Orchestra. It separates the (Boyz II) Men from the (Beastie) Boys. We're talking karaoke, a pastime this writer is enamored of. But for some, the idea of...
Dec 15, 2012The Clothes Make the (Music) Man
Melissa Bobbitt 0The Gossip’s fiery front woman, Beth Ditto, just announced a fashion collaboration with Jean Paul Gaultier. It’s said to be brassy and beautiful, accentuating the natural magnificence of Rubenesque bodies. This meeting of the minds got...
Dec 21, 2015Comments
Recent posts
Subscribe!
Receive updates on what's going on in live entertainment, events, and music.