Tuesday 31 May 2011

SINGLE REVIEW: Yuck - Shook Down


My first experience of Yuck was a dodgy radio rip of ‘Holing Out’; with the scuzzy thrash of their guitars buzzing mercilessly on my laptop speakers, I got a pretty instant impression of the four-piece. However, their first record was surprisingly a lot mellower than I had bargained for. The latest single from their self-titled debut, ‘Shook Down’ falls into the softer side of the spectrum whilst still retaining the rhythmical flair that defines them as a quartet. Like Lovvers’ sophisticated older brother (Lovvers’ guitarist kicked me in the head Offset Festival, albeit accidentally), ‘Shook Down’ is all acoustic guitars and a laidback, harmonised vocal like a 90s stoner lover anthem. The leading, nonchalant hook, layered over their distinctively grungy guitars makes the 3:27 akin to a lighter, breezier Pavement as Daniel Blumberg chimes: “You could be my destiny, you could mean that much to me.” This influence is especially prominent when the instrumental strips back to the bassline and the warm vocal suggests we “turn the lights out, turn them slow.” ‘Shook Down’ is a lazy, Sunday morning love song, frayed around the edges from the ever glorious Yuck. Long may they reign.


Written for The Whiteboard Project

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