a look back on one of my favorite albums, the self titled debut from Yuck
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I’ve decided to start a new segment on the site. On Sunday evening I’m going to bring you an ‘album rewind’ to some of my favorite records. Who’s stoked for more music, yeah?
So the first one is on London-quartet, Yuck’s self-titled debut album.
Back when this was released in 2011 I had been in LA for a few years and the city had just begun to seep into my soul. It was a day at work when I first heard this new album from Yuck that sounded like a Dinosaur Jr. / Sonic Youth dream. While the 90s influences are heavy on the album you can’t deny the fuzzy guitars and sun drenched rhythms that Yuck creates as their own.
The record starts out with “Get Away”, a complete wake-up track that eases you into the Yuck sound. Vocalist Daniel Blumberg, (who has now since left the group) commands a catchy single rhythm from the start. It then weaves into more mellow track like “Suicide Policeman” with a bit of an Elliott Smith and more of a Britpop sound. Among the standout tracks are “Georgia”, “Stutter”, and “Sunday”. It’s just all around a great album without being too cliche. I have to say that the ultimate winner for me is the epic seven minute closer, “Rubber”. It’s like a soundscape journey with hypnotic fuzzy guitars that rise and fall just perfectly. A solid debut record.
They re-released the album in a deluxe edition adding on an EP. Needless to say it was great for a fan like me to hear more music and get another crop of tunes. Since then they have released two more albums, Glow & Behold (Fat Possum Records) in 2013 and the last one Stranger Things (Mamé Records) in 2016.
