Artist Review: YUCA, Rebuilding the Fallen Empire
Artist: YUCA
Album: Rebuilding the Fallen Empire
Genre: Rock / Progressive
RIYL: Muse, Soundgarden, Radiohead, Remy Zero
A rock anthem begins shaking out of my speakers immediately after pressing play on YUCA’s Rebuilding the Fallen Empire. The immediate and obvious comparison for this three-piece’s musical style is that of Muse or Radiohead, and is in the most general terms based on the grandiosity and dynamic quality of both acts’ work. But this Canadian trio manages a feat that many other bands fail to get past when they explore their reverence for the aforementioned bands; within the span of one track it becomes clear that they have a style and substance all their own.
In fact, what’s more interesting is that lead vocalist/guitarist Matt Borck manages to cross the ferocity and strength of Muse’s Matt Bellamy with the extended range and cleanness of Remy Zero’s Cinjun Tate. In short, he has an extremely powerful weapon at his disposal when it comes to pushing YUCA’s dynamics to some pretty lofty heights. It would be easy to key in on Borck as the reason for the success of YUCA’s sound; and to be sure, it is an integral piece of the puzzle. But Dave Atkinson’s impressive drumming and Andy Boldt’s solid basslines and backing vocals provide the balance that’s necessary for Borck’s considerable talents to remain reigned in.
“Maybe We’ll Riot” is the current single, and for good reason. It’s bold and blasts from the speakers like a barely contained freight train that gains steam from the first note to the last. The energy level is high, the accessibility obvious, and the performance is a starmaking turn. “Heavy As A Stone” and “I’m Alive She Said” are both fine examples of the potency and versatility of the songwriting on Rebuilding the Fallen Empire. While both songs reach for the stratosphere vocally, there is a wealth of dynamic and complex instrumental interplay that counterpoints those vocals beautifully.
As much as I love an enormous-sounding song, the inclusion of “Love” and “Sparrow” show an even greater understanding of the versatility needed not to be completely pigeonholed musically. On “Love,” especially, Borck channels the glorious tone of Chris Cornell, and delivers an almighty vocal wallop that is completely unattainable by most singers on this planet. While this song also wails to greater heights, there is a sparseness here, and on “Sparrow,” that is incredibly appealing, vulnerable and indicative of a direction I’d love to hear them venture further toward.
YUCA is a powerful, dynamic trio of players who know their instruments, understand their parts to play and who push each other to be greater than the sum of their parts. This is throwback rock that will appeal to ‘80s glam rock fans to modern operatic rockers who like their music big, bold and polished. Rebuilding the Fallen Empire makes a serious statement of arrival, and this band isn’t messing around with experimental tunes and missteps. They’re simply going for broke, and the reward is a record that is as energizing as it is versatile.
YUCA website: http://www.yuca.ca/
(This originally appeared on Indie-Music.com at: http://www.indie-music.com/ee/index.php/blog/comments/review_yuca_rebuilding_the_fallen_empire)
Album: Rebuilding the Fallen Empire
Genre: Rock / Progressive
RIYL: Muse, Soundgarden, Radiohead, Remy Zero
A rock anthem begins shaking out of my speakers immediately after pressing play on YUCA’s Rebuilding the Fallen Empire. The immediate and obvious comparison for this three-piece’s musical style is that of Muse or Radiohead, and is in the most general terms based on the grandiosity and dynamic quality of both acts’ work. But this Canadian trio manages a feat that many other bands fail to get past when they explore their reverence for the aforementioned bands; within the span of one track it becomes clear that they have a style and substance all their own.
In fact, what’s more interesting is that lead vocalist/guitarist Matt Borck manages to cross the ferocity and strength of Muse’s Matt Bellamy with the extended range and cleanness of Remy Zero’s Cinjun Tate. In short, he has an extremely powerful weapon at his disposal when it comes to pushing YUCA’s dynamics to some pretty lofty heights. It would be easy to key in on Borck as the reason for the success of YUCA’s sound; and to be sure, it is an integral piece of the puzzle. But Dave Atkinson’s impressive drumming and Andy Boldt’s solid basslines and backing vocals provide the balance that’s necessary for Borck’s considerable talents to remain reigned in.
“Maybe We’ll Riot” is the current single, and for good reason. It’s bold and blasts from the speakers like a barely contained freight train that gains steam from the first note to the last. The energy level is high, the accessibility obvious, and the performance is a starmaking turn. “Heavy As A Stone” and “I’m Alive She Said” are both fine examples of the potency and versatility of the songwriting on Rebuilding the Fallen Empire. While both songs reach for the stratosphere vocally, there is a wealth of dynamic and complex instrumental interplay that counterpoints those vocals beautifully.
As much as I love an enormous-sounding song, the inclusion of “Love” and “Sparrow” show an even greater understanding of the versatility needed not to be completely pigeonholed musically. On “Love,” especially, Borck channels the glorious tone of Chris Cornell, and delivers an almighty vocal wallop that is completely unattainable by most singers on this planet. While this song also wails to greater heights, there is a sparseness here, and on “Sparrow,” that is incredibly appealing, vulnerable and indicative of a direction I’d love to hear them venture further toward.
YUCA is a powerful, dynamic trio of players who know their instruments, understand their parts to play and who push each other to be greater than the sum of their parts. This is throwback rock that will appeal to ‘80s glam rock fans to modern operatic rockers who like their music big, bold and polished. Rebuilding the Fallen Empire makes a serious statement of arrival, and this band isn’t messing around with experimental tunes and missteps. They’re simply going for broke, and the reward is a record that is as energizing as it is versatile.
YUCA website: http://www.yuca.ca/
(This originally appeared on Indie-Music.com at: http://www.indie-music.com/ee/index.php/blog/comments/review_yuca_rebuilding_the_fallen_empire)
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