YACHT – See Mystery Lights
YACHT - See Mystery Lights
You might remember that ‘Summer Song’ last year, courtesy of the band Yacht, which was a delightful summer jam. It is catchy, breezy, and danceable to boot, so no surprise then that Yacht is part of the DFA label of James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem) and Timothy Goldsworthy, who also makes remixes under the Loving Hands moniker. Yacht is a duo, consisting of Jona Bechtolt (formerly of The Blow) and Claire L. Evans, and after their initial buzz due to ‘Summer Song’ they are about to release their first full album, entitled See Mystery Lights. Do not try and look up that albums official website though, because you will have to endure a seizure.
Jerky, danceable synth-pop is the band’s forte. Breezy and catchy tunes have to propel this album forward, and in its best moments it indeed does so. The aforementioned single still is the standout, but it is aided by some other delightful tunes. The album actually starts with a bit of cymbal action and what seems like some tribal drums before the more modern techniques set in (though for all I know the drums could be coming from a drum pad). “Will we go to heaven or will we go to hell/it is my understanding that neither are real,” they sing. It effectively sets the tone of the album, namely quirky. They are a queer bunch, and this album is about fun and letting self-consciousness go, which you can do perfectly when the opening track kicks into higher gear about halfway through.
‘The Afterlife’ stays with the theme of death, set upon light and summery music. Evans is more or less announcing the words, especially in the chorus, which suits the vibe well. ‘I’m In Love With A Ripper’ is a song they liked so much it actually returns as a party mix later on the album, and since it does sound like something for a beach party that is not too strange a decision. The songs are not the smooth kind of synth-pop we are used to from the likes of Cut Copy, or in the vein of current pop darlings Phoenix. It’s all just a bit more peculiar, fittingly so. It is less smooth, more hooky. If you dance to this, and some of the songs do invite such action, don’t pretend you are a smooth operator, but just follow wherever the song takes you, and you might just look like Evans and Bechtolt on stage. A terrifying thought surely for all self-conscious and who have seen them live.
There are however some issues with the album. First of all, she can’t really sing, can she? Indeed, there is some vocal manipulation here and there, and as long as she is announcing or yelping it is all fine. Especially on the DFA label (which does not boost the world’s most renowned vocalists to be fair) you do not have to have a great voice, but in that case you do have to keep within your limitations. But sometimes she actually does try to sing, which is kind of grating really. If you do something, you might as well actually be capable of doing it a bit. With a song like ‘It’s Boring’ you are asking for it, aren’t you? The song is boring, as the band tries to take on a more rock approach, which is complemented by a complete lack of ideas. Luckily, attached to it is the second part of the song, ‘You Can Live Anywhere You Want’, which is dance mania basically. Delightful disco, too bad you have to endure the first part. Luckily good DJs will be able to split them.
‘Psychic City’ is probably lyrically their most interesting song. Dreamily, Evans sings – and yes, that does hinder the song – about falling “in love every minute on the street”, and the song tries to aid to that with a dreamy, summery feel. Unfortunately, like so many more dance oriented acts, when they slow it down it does fall short. Especially in between the disco of ‘You Can Live Anywhere You Want’ and the summer jam ‘Summer Song’ this feels more like it is taking the pace out of the album than that it shows their versatility. The last two songs are a bit more experimental, but that does not particularly help the overall quality of them, as they are not the best of the album.
The album ends with two alternate versions of earlier tracks. There is a party mix of the ‘I’m In Love With A Ripper’, which is fair enough and adequately does what it does. The last one is basically an a cappella version of ‘Psychic City’, and since her voice is less than stellar I’m not sure why that one is put on there. And so the album ends, and the album itself is not quite the party that was hoped for after the release of ‘Summer Song’. Some songs are delightful and catchy, others not so much. I do think that live things will come across better, and especially the transition on the track ‘It’s Boring/You Can Live Anywhere You Want’ will induce mass dancing. As an album though, it is not really that good, and I think individual songs from the album will be remembered more fondly than the album as a whole, which on several places falls a bit short.
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