YAWN's Debut Anything But

By Tankboy in Arts & Entertainment on Aug 30, 2011 4:20PM

While a number of our correspondents are already converts to the house of YAWN, this critic is a relative latecomer to their party. Descriptions of the band being favorably compared to ethereal psychesters Animal Collective did not exactly send us rushing to consume YAWN’s earlier work, and we admit it colored our perception upon hearing their EPs as they were released. But upon hearing their full-length debut Open Season we are humbly reminded that we should not judge a musical group by a critic’s attempt at comparison.

YAWN does indeed has a gauzy shine to their music that is evident in the best we’ve heard from Animal Collective, but while AnCo spirals off out of control to the furthest spirals of the galaxy to often lose the plot, YAWN keeps their music firmly rooted on earth and within firm constructs. This allows YAWN to keep things dreamy without ever losing control and the music is so much the better for it. Beach Boys harmonies permeate the songs and there’s much Caribbean sunshine hidden within the acid heart of this music. The drums tickle the rhythms to create beats that are light and airy and utterly danceable.

The thing that’s most surprising about this album is just how optimistic it is. The album opens with “Keepup” and the songs breeziness sets the mood for what follows. Even when an unexpected basement techno beats pops up in the middle of “Gasoline” a few songs in its presence just serve to amp up the joy, not disrupt the organic surroundings. In the end, though, we must admit this album leaves us with two regrets; we can’t believe it took us this long to be open to YAWN’s charms … and we can’t believe an album that would make the perfect soundtrack to the beach is coming out just as the summer ends. Oh well, we’ll just have to count on Open Season to keep us warm throughout the winter months.

YAWN plays an album release show tonight, August 30, at Schubas, 3159 N Southport, 8 p.m., $8, 18+