When I first heard the first single “Solar Laws” from Katonah, NY exports Yellerkin I was instantly enamored. Of this there was no denying. The vivacious energy and seamless blend of the then duo’s musicianship not only capitalized on the potential for infectious genre-blurring pop but hinted at a knack for pitch perfect songcraft that’d serve them well in the future. Yellerkin’s at their best when utilizing the talents of all of its members – Adrian Galvin’s emotive vocals and effervescent charm paired with Luca Buccellati’s electronic wizardry and rock solid supporting role.
While the Yellerkin live set has evolved from quintet to a modest trio including Tei Shi drummer Gabe Smith, the one constant is the twosome at the center of the experimental pop maelstrom and “Tools” is an example of the brilliant effects of Galvin and Buccellati in total consonance. “Tools” resembles generic pop structure but inverts it a little – featuring the harmonic howled chorus first and foremost before things set off in divergent but surprising parallel paths. “Tools” shows a remarkable amount of subtlety – embroiled for much of its duration in a sort of tonal ebb and flow that finally rises towards a full on synth-pop explosion that feels earned after about three minutes of teasing.
On “Tools”, Yellerkin show exceptional growth embarking on the electronic direction they want to pursue without losing sight of the much straight forward pop elements at their inception and hints at exciting things after the release of their self-titled EP earlier this year. Here’s hoping it’s not too long before we get a glimpse at what else Yellerkin have up their sleeve but until then “Tools” will make good company.
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