Birmingham based quartet Y!kes describe themselves as ‘anti-pop noise’ throughout their social media presence, and their upcoming 5 track EP Mass!ve is a testament to that profound statement. The blend of moody indie vocals and punk angst conjures up a Molotov cocktail of hate that’ll make you loathe your parents for bringing you into this world.
The EP’s opener and lead single ‘Pirouette’ is played with urgency and danger, the formidable fuzz of the guitars drowning out any remaining shred of hope and faith you may have had left in the human race.
The slurred verses in ‘Alice’ are almost indecipherable, leaving a trace of mystery and spiking curiosity, aligning with the songs subject matter of the popular children’s fable. The chorus lyrics ‘I know I’m just a rabbit in Alice’s show,’ are better enunciated and leave an indelible imprint with its layered personal and political connotations.
With every emerging band there’s always a vocalist who can either elevate the group or tear them down. In this case, Oli Long has the necessary balance of weird and wonderful in his attitude and swagger to tie Y!kes’ image together in a fascinatingly androgynous bow.
As the EP’s final tracks, ’Faker’ and ‘Step Away’ exhibit a little bit more class and maturity as they utilise the condemned pop hooks in the chorus’ to their advantage, camouflaged amidst the fleeting guitar solos.
The contrast in the melodic finale compared with the initial aggression, ends the EP on a musically lighter note and restores the almost-lost hope and faith that things might still be able to get better, even if the depressive and suicidal lyrics say otherwise.
Y!kes are due to release the EP's lead single 'Pirouette' on 14th August, followed by the full EP Mass!ve on 28th. In the mean time you can check the band out on social media and listen to their previously released material here.
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