Over 40 years have passed since bands like Iggy Pop & the Stooges, Black Flag and the Sex Pistols ushered in an era of dirty, speaker shattering and utterly rebellious garage, punk and psychedelia that transformed the traditionally tame and measured rock scene forever. Those days have long since faded and as those groups faded into the limelight or disappeared into history, few young bands took the opportunity to step up and carry their torch forward.
Undercurrents of those acclaimed groups and sounds can be heard running underneath the songs of modern bands like Cage the Elephant, FIDLAR or even Wavves but you could accuse these bands of crafting music that’s too carefully constructed or immaculate in its’ production. They keep themselves restrained, only occasionally letting loose but never make an attempt to reawaken the wild spirits of that bygone era.
A full on resurrection might be just beyond the horizon if the England based trio of Oliver Henry Burlsem, Andy Jones and Elliot Rawson, also known simply as Yak, continue making more of the righteous noise that’s brough them international attention despite only being a creative unit since 2014.
Fusing the reckless and unbridled volcanic energy of 60’s punk and garage rock and combining it with a modern lo-fi aesthetic as well as some unexpected creative detours, Yak’s bewildering style is equal parts sonic assault and hooky, unforgettable melodies. That’s hard to do when you’re constantly pushing your speakers past 11 and practically leveling foundations with a single riff.
Chances are you’ve already heard about their reputation as one of the most insane live acts in music today or have had a chance to see them obliterate the stage in person. The trio holds nothing back, blasting out chords and beats like it’s their last night on earth and every now and then throwing their instruments into the thrashing heart of their crowds.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that they’ve taken every bit of that electric energy and channeled it with ruthless efficiency into their glorious, 41-minute experience of a debut, Alas, Salvation.
Wasting no time in establishing exactly who they are, opener ‘Victorious (National Anthem)’ roars to life with lurching, gritty guitars and a mindless stomp of a drum beat before Andy Jones’ low bass threatens to disintegrate everything in its’ path.
‘Hungry Heart’ toys with the listener, at first sounding more stripped back with only drums and bass backing Oliver’s vocals before a wall of dense as concrete guitars hammer down “again, again and again” in the chorus and there’s no relent in the onslaught until the song’s final second.
Sunny melodies and surf rock grooves find their way into the psychedelic waves of ‘Use Somebody’ and Elliot Rawson proves himself to be a beast of a drummer, laying down some heavy rhythms that only increase in intensity as the song rockets towards a cacophonous finale of manically plinking pianos and wails coming at you from every angle.
Classic country guitars come from nowhere in ‘Roll Another’ and the band somehow makes them sound natural despite being smack dab in the middle of a static-filled, abrasive punk anthem. Don’t let the song lull you into a false sense of security, though, because ‘Curtain Twitcher’ jettisons every bit of the trio’s restraint with every member, especially Oliver, going completely unhinged and savagely tearing the song apart like Looney Tunes’ Taz.
‘Take It’ yanks Salvation onto an entirely different stylistic path with atmospheric riffs that hearken to Amnesiac-era Radiohead and Oliver even adopting just a smidge of Thom Yorke’s unmistakable style. As Oliver’s guitar and Andy’s bass seamlessly intertwine over Elliot’s taut and tense drums, Yak prove they’re just as masterful with more layered, nuanced rock as they are with pure noise.
‘Harbour the Feeling’ continues down this road but ups the intensity in the chanting, merciless chorus and by song’s end, Oliver’s vocals are nearly swallowed by the torrential downpour of squealing guitars and feedback. Before giving us a chance to breathe, ‘Alas Salvation’ delivers one last, powerful minute of furious commotion and ‘Smile’ finally clears the air, if only for a moment.
The tune sounds like the soundtrack for a bizarre, twisted Spaghetti Western with some distinctly Southern flavored guitar twang thrown into the mix, albeit with a bludgeoning chorus thrown in for good measure. As Oliver shrieks “look how we run for cover“, the trio pushes things into overdrive, giving no protection from the spectacular racket.
If you’re expecting ‘Doo Wah’ to have some heavy 60’s influences from the title alone, you won’t be disappointed and aside from the deranged, meandering guitars, Yak paints the tune with some surprising shades of the Strokes’ tuneful post-punk, colorful riffs, Julian Casablanca-ish vocals and all.
Nearly 8-minute closer ‘Please Don’t Wait For Me’ pulls all of Yak’s random creative detours together by swerving between lucid, dreamlike psychedelia and massive, wailing rock explosions before suddenly transitioning into a drunken, 60’s country ballad in its’ second half. By some miracle, nothing sounds out of place and the song becomes as unpredictable a journey as the rest of Salvation.
There’s no telling where exactly the modern psychedelia/garage revival started but it’s been endlessly thrilling seeing so many artists take motifs and influences from those monumental decades and creating something with just as much weirdness and fearless originality for today’s audiences.
By the end of Alas, Salvation, I was and am still convinced that Yak are already on to something big and will no doubt become giants in the alternative scene before long. If they’re able to put together a joyous, skyscraper toppling album this good despite having been around for just over two years, one can only imagine what’ll come out of them when they’ve gained more live experience and deepened their creative chemistry.
Alas, Salvation gets a 9 out of 10!!
FAVORITE tracks: ‘Take It’, ‘Harbour the Feeling’, ‘Hungry Heart’
WORST tracks: Yeah… I got nothing.
The Anchor Point 