Artist: YACHT
Album: See Mystery Lights
Year: 2009
Grade: 4 pretzels
YACHT is the brainchild of Jona Bechtolt, a Portland-based electronica nut who has developed a sizable following with his brand of dance-friendly electronic indie pop. At a time when there seem to be legions of musicians running rampant that fit that description, Bechtolt has managed to make himself stand out from the pack. With success comes change and See Mystery Lights finds YACHT breaking new ground, with a new singer and a new record label to boot.
YACHT have found a home on New York’s DFA Records, a label created by LCD Soundsystem mastermind James Murphy (and friends). This is a wonderfully appropriate home for YACHT, since Bechtolt seems to share Murphy’s love of easily accessible dance music that neatly bridges the divide separating electronica from indie rock. DFA Records is also a step up from the ranks of small, inconsequential record labels Bechtolt had been working on previously. As such, See Mystery Lights sounds more polished and accomplished than anything YACHT has produced thus far. The other new addition is singer Claire L. Evans, who’s recorded with YACHT in the past but is only now being recognized as a full member. Her fairly straightforward voice and tendency to speak-sing gives YACHT’s music a charming, casual atmosphere, best heard on the very Kraftwerk-ian “The Afterlife”.
What separates YACHT from the rest of the mob of indie-electronica artists these days (at least in my mind) is how easy it is to listen to their music. Often, electronic music can veer strongly into grating, percussive noise, with sharp handclaps and shuddering, jerky beats tearing great holes in otherwise pleasant pop songs. While there’s always something to be said for intense, jarring music, it’s also nice every once and a while to hear something as pleasant as YACHT’s “Psychic City”, which is a wonderful, bouncy little electronic song. It leads the listener to pay more attention to the songwriting than how many strange sounds the artist can wring from a keyboard.
See Mystery Lights hits a lot of expected musical touchstones, including the aforementioned Kraftwerk, some Gang Of Four here and there (particularly in the bass) and their new labelmates LCD Soundsystem. However, all of these are good influences to draw from and YACHT do so quite skillfully, borrowing styles here and there to complement their own creative process. As a result, See Mystery Lights is a very strong, cohesive record, with a uniform mood and tone throughout. Lively, fun and genuinely enjoyable, it’s definitely one of the better party albums I’ve heard this year.
YACHT have found a home on New York’s DFA Records, a label created by LCD Soundsystem mastermind James Murphy (and friends). This is a wonderfully appropriate home for YACHT, since Bechtolt seems to share Murphy’s love of easily accessible dance music that neatly bridges the divide separating electronica from indie rock. DFA Records is also a step up from the ranks of small, inconsequential record labels Bechtolt had been working on previously. As such, See Mystery Lights sounds more polished and accomplished than anything YACHT has produced thus far. The other new addition is singer Claire L. Evans, who’s recorded with YACHT in the past but is only now being recognized as a full member. Her fairly straightforward voice and tendency to speak-sing gives YACHT’s music a charming, casual atmosphere, best heard on the very Kraftwerk-ian “The Afterlife”.
What separates YACHT from the rest of the mob of indie-electronica artists these days (at least in my mind) is how easy it is to listen to their music. Often, electronic music can veer strongly into grating, percussive noise, with sharp handclaps and shuddering, jerky beats tearing great holes in otherwise pleasant pop songs. While there’s always something to be said for intense, jarring music, it’s also nice every once and a while to hear something as pleasant as YACHT’s “Psychic City”, which is a wonderful, bouncy little electronic song. It leads the listener to pay more attention to the songwriting than how many strange sounds the artist can wring from a keyboard.
See Mystery Lights hits a lot of expected musical touchstones, including the aforementioned Kraftwerk, some Gang Of Four here and there (particularly in the bass) and their new labelmates LCD Soundsystem. However, all of these are good influences to draw from and YACHT do so quite skillfully, borrowing styles here and there to complement their own creative process. As a result, See Mystery Lights is a very strong, cohesive record, with a uniform mood and tone throughout. Lively, fun and genuinely enjoyable, it’s definitely one of the better party albums I’ve heard this year.
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