Yuck
Glow & Behold
Noise rock
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Two years after its well-received, self-titled debut album, Yuck returns with Glow & Behold, led by new frontman Max Bloom. Hailing from London, Yuck is clearly inspired by innovative, guitar-driven rock bands like My Bloody Valentine and Sonic Youth. The band proves with this release that it’s one of the few bands taking this style of music successfully into the new decade.
A common feature throughout is the addition of uncommon instruments, an inspired twist for this genre. Both “Memorial Fields” and the instrumental “Sunrise in Maple Shade” employ bombastic horns, elevating each to anthem-like heights.
Interestingly, the latter half of the album replaces fuzzy distortion and rocking guitars for a more acoustic and pop-based sound with mixed results. “Nothing New” evokes a country sound that actually works. “How Does It Feel,” however, overuses trumpets and an unnecessary background piano.
Ex-frontman Daniel Blumberg employed more of a brash, punk sensibility on the band’s debut, and this is certainly missed on some of Glow & Behold‘s faster-paced songs. Bloom’s somber, airy voice works on slower ballads, but struggles to find the right notes on tracks like “Rebirth,” where he cannot quite match the instrumentation’s upbeat nature.
The closer “Glow & Behold” suggests further experimentation, breaking down the track to its barest elements. It becomes progressively grungier and heavier and is a major high point for the record.
Inventive instrumentation and genre mixing solidify Yuck as a band to watch. While the group may falter when it stretches too far outside its comfort area, the creative spin it puts on ’90s alternative rock produces a valuable project with more successes than failures.
— Mac Gushanas
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