YAK, Pursuit Of Momentary Happiness - album review
The story of the creation of YAK's second album is long and interesting enough to fill this review 10 times over.
The personal journey Wolverhampton-born frontman Oli Burslem went through to get it out would break some men. For others, it may sound like the perfect rock'n'roll movie script.
But despite all the personal pain and ending up homeless sleeping in the back of an old Citroen estate, the record has come out and redemption is served. Guitarist and vocalist Oli is a Wolverhampton lad, so naturally we are chuffed this album has worked out this well.
We have 11 tracks of a mixture of psychedelic and wall of sound rock that is crying onto your shoulder at one point before yanking you up by the bootstraps for a good time the next.
Mid-career Muse comes through a lot of the soft piano and pained vocal work. While there are also huge memory recalls of Radiohead's 2003 record Hail To The Thief with some of the dreamier landscapes created.
And when they've had enough of moping, in come the huge Kasabian-esque guitar-fests.
Of the latter ilk is the appropriately named Pay Off vs. The Struggle. This track is a truck-load of fun with a raucous ruction of a chorus sandwiched between some pretty angsty verses. It's a melting pot of frustration that simmers beautifully from start to finish.
There's some great riff work in Blinded By The Lies. It's another of these stomping guitar tracks that throws its weight around with venom. This will be great fun live.
READ MORE: Wolverhampton's Oli Burslem reveals personal struggles to get his band YAK's new album out
Fried, too, demands to be heard with its terrific bass work from Vincent Davies - a replacement for the original bassist Andy Jones, another Wulfrunian.
On the gloomier side is closer This House Has No Living Room. As keys glide morosely from side to side it sounds like Nick Cave has oozed all his songwriting experience into Burslem's mind. Think late-night bar with a lone drinker slumped on a stool, tie askew. It's that type of number.
And Words Fail Me slams into life with a huge cacophony before easing into a softer number where keys carry Burslem's words with ease.
They should be happy with such a strong release to come out of a big period of adversity.
Rating: 8/10
YAK play at Birmingham's Castle & Falcon on March 29.
