what a review, .......go see on live on Friday

[chilli]

Brainwashed review of Yellotone who headlines @ Drakes on Friday

The Canadian Intuit have a saying that states: "The artist does not create art; the art creates the artist." I only became fully aware of this belief's true meaning after listening to Yellotone's newest release, Tar File Junction. Not since the beautifully inventive trickery of DJ Shadow has an artist twiddled his knobs and dug so deep into his impressive selection of homegrown samples to construct an album of such focus and intention. Fusing guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, and virtually all else lying around able to make some sound or another, Simon Harding paves paths of cheery ambitions, and incredibly catchy arrangements. The CD begins perfectly with "Gail Force Porter Lou Carpenter," which contains a bass groove truly to die for. Melded with sporadic beats and head-dizzying cymbal shards, the bass thumps curl in and out of the mix, causing my head to do nothing but nod to the infectious rhythm. Slightly off-kiltered guitar strums weave broken melodic sections together, only adding supremacy to the song's utter intensity. "When we Danced", although barely exceeding three minutes in length, is perhaps the worthiest of the bunch. Guitar stabs punctuate rhythm and melody immediately, along with insanely beautiful beats that recalls Four Tet's grandeur and conviction. Oriental-inspired keyboard melodies mesh flawlessly with the mix, creating a stately, fleeting lullaby for the severely disturbed. The interesting "Witterin" follows, and does not disappoint. What sounds like a distant piano churns in the background amidst loud break beats that clash and clang over groovy, hook-laden bass jabs. And trust me, the drum solo makes the entire CD worth picking up. Despite being predominantly upbeat and cheerfully indie-tronic, it's not to say that this music doesn't carry a moving, emotional relevence. In fact, the guitar sequence that "Witterin" ends with, must contain one of the most impressive and touching series of prolonged harmonics I've ever heard; not to mention, eliciting a few tears here and there. Unquestionably, Tar File Junction has proved to be one of Ai's most ambitious recordings thus far; however, with a the next Yellotone release in the not too distant future, that title may soon be stripped.