A captivating dream sequence
Releasing a brand new 2018 LP, Yawning Man is back with their trademark stoner instrumental flare. The Revolt Against Tired Noises is a short but effective album. The work clocks in at approximately 40 minutes, with eight tracks total. Although Yawning Man got their start in the 1980s, they are still relevant today with their unique and hardly duplicated desert rock sound.
“Black Kites” kicks off the album with a slow and methodical guitar riff accompanied by slowly paced drums and a very clear bass tone. This song without a doubt is one of the more “jam bandy” tunes on the LP, and the instrumentation lends itself to a beautiful state of melancholy. The same sound, however, carries over into other songs on the album, which as a whole seems to sound like a calm and stripped down instrumental Mastodon or High on Fire stoner rock effort.
“Revolt Against Tired Noises” comes in right after “Black Kites,” to a very similar structure. The similarities between the first two songs are somewhat uncanny, but that is one of the pitfalls in psychedelic instrumentals: most of them blend together. From back to back, these songs do not sound separate at all, and maybe that is the artistic intention but at first listen they sound like copies of one another in terms of pacing, notes and rhythm.
The first real shakeup on Revolt has to be “Grant’s Heart.” The hypnotic shimmering chords at the beginning pull the listener into a progressive treat of a song. The drum rhythms are slightly syncopated with the guitar, mimicking an off-rhythm sound, and Yawning Man also introduces vocals for the first time on the album. The vocals are a fascinating touch as they blend in a choral element to a traditionally voiceless instrumental band. The vocals create a church-like, phaser effect, which really adds some much-needed layers to Yawning Man’s mix.
The tracks start to get more eclectic after “Grant’s Heart.” “Violent Light” is perhaps the grooviest song on the album and could be the favorite track for many listeners. The song breathes emotion and feels like a journey through sleep. The repetition may feel tedious at times, but the song as a whole brings together a lethargic dream sequence like nothing else.
Vocals return on yet another beautifully dark track, “Catamaran,” which is the hardest hitting song on the album. The vocals encourage a dip into stoner metal whenever they enter, thus creating a whole new atmosphere apart from every other track on the LP.
The feeling of unique, sleepy wonder continued all the way through from “Grant’s Heart” to the album’s conclusion on “Ghost Beach.” The first half of Revolt certainly leaves a lot to be desired, but the second half produces such rich and lethargic sounds that any Yawning Man fan would expect from the band. Overall, the album had a rocky start but it ended up delivering quality stoner rock psychedelics in the last four tracks. Yawning Man should be proud of a solid effort that grows with each additional track.
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