Review Summary: Oh how my heart yearns for you
Music is evolving quicker than ever. Genres are melting, boundaries are fading, and consumption is rampant. The internet and technology as a whole are streaming in a million different directions, each at the speed of light without a feasible end in sight. Zoom in a bit and you’ll notice there’s music being made to document this phenomenon; all-encompassing artists defying what’s classifiable in order to provoke chaos, obscurity, and hyper-reality (see: Vaporwave / labels: Night Slugs, Hippos in Tanks, Erstwhile). Despite this, it’s interesting to note the forces that question our ever-accelerating technological progression. In the physical realm, it’s becoming increasingly more common to find new releases on cassette, the sale of vinyl records continues to climb, and vintage paraphernalia is typically considered hip and trendy. While these are still niche conclusions, there’s no reason why they can’t continue to find a wider audience.
Spanish label Elefant records have maintained a keen ear for vintage sound since the late 80s amidst the spring of technology, and over two decades later have possibly found their most convincing statement; being the beautiful retro pop of The Yearning. Helmed by British producer Joe Moore, the luscious voice of Maddie Dobie (who’s only 15 years old), and a number of back-up singers and session musicians to bring their Phil Spector-esque wall of sound to the masses. Following up their debut EP,
Still In Love refines The Yearning’s admiration of 60s girl groups and twee pop to incredible merit. The EP opens things off with ‘Everybody Knows (I'm Still In Love With You)’, twisting simplistic lyrics and melodies of adolescent love with gorgeous harmonies and ultra-twee instrumentation.
A heart beat drum pattern accordingly guides ‘Heart Beats A Little Bit Faster’ into footage of the whimsical, confetti covered streets of NYC after the war; young husbands kissing young wives, shining optimism seeping out of the grainy film. Phil Spector’s The Ronettes are revived on the incredibly lush centerpiece, ‘If You Were My Boyfriend’, which is pure head-over-heels audible flirting like the gleaming eyes of your dreamiest crush. A thumping and catchy guitar line takes this fantasy to the sock hop on ‘Why’s She Making Those Eyes At You?’ under an omnipresent tambourine and sun-soaked harmonies. This youthful groove eventually progresses into an exotic chill-out on the closer ‘Pretty Lies’, closing the EP with a surprising sense of versatility from the warranted ‘60s girl-group and twee pop vibes.
As technology continues to affirm the relevance of questions like ‘What is truly original?’ or ‘How far can we really go?’, it’s refreshing to see artists like The Yearning responding with an answer; it doesn’t matter. The relevance of art shouldn’t depend on external trends or originality, it should depend on an inward significance within us. Something as simple, yet poignant as
Still In Love proves that art is not dependent on the latest technological advances. It borrows from the past, as any artist does, taking Phil Spector’s wall-of-sound production, ‘60s Girl Groups, and lush Twee Pop as hallmarks of a grand scheme to create an impeccably produced and extremely satisfying EP that stands on its own two feet; yearning for the past but always thinking head.
