Review Summary: Humbly majestic and free-flowing
From the top of Burger Hill, I see
Smoke that leaves through the chimneys
The world is untouched and set free
The way it was meant to be
With
Yolk in the Fur, Wild Pink have crafted their most unassuming and naturally beautiful album. As tracks bleed together like tributaries, acoustic guitars ring out with an unbridled, astral splendor. Drums pound at the dirt with a rustic sense of Americana. It’s an aesthetically beautiful record set poignantly in motion by front man John Ross’s universally relatable lyrics. Shimmering without ever bidding for grandeur, it’s a gem laying in bay shallows eagerly awaiting discovery.
“We were the only ones in a pre-natal snow globe”, Ross recites atop the pastoral acoustics of opener ‘Burger Hill’ – “When our time's up we'll pass through, like the wind blows through the trees.” This is the kind of vivid language that spans
Yolk , each metaphor giving off its own soft, inviting glow. At times the passion bubbles over, like when Ross draws out his words while singing “I’m with you” on the title track, or on the gorgeous ballad ‘Love Is Better’, where he plainly states, “you always find a way to make what you do beautiful.” Ross’s voice has that romanticized classic rock feel – something not all that far removed from Tom Petty or Jackson Browne. Even on ‘Lake Erie’ – an ode to outgrowing your past – he waxes poetic, “all you ever wanted…was the one you love the most not to suddenly leave.” That’s
Yolk – this highly emotional experience that ebbs and flows with elements of both nature and humanity.
Musically,
Yolk in the Fur recalls more modern acts. The War on Drugs comes to mind immediately, with both artists sharing iridescent guitar work and upbeat percussion. ‘Lake Erie’ offers the most obvious comparison, consisting of the sort of glammed up
Springsteen-rock-meets-Dylan-prose that Granduciel churns out regularly. Wild Pink tends to go back to the creative well more often, however. They add moving strings to an already poignant ‘Jewels Drossed in the Runoff’, crafting a sweepingly elegant, Earth-mover of a ballad. They also prove that inspiration doesn’t have to come in the form of twinkling indie tropes or retro-rock worship; the six minute ‘Seance On St. Augustine St.’ culminates in a gritty electric guitar solo, accompanied by waves of crashing percussion.
Yolk is a melting pot of inspiration both past and present, making it difficult to plainly define the style that Wild Pink espouses.
Yolk in the Fur is a statement album. It’s an experience that flows effortlessly, combining a glistening, guitar-driven atmosphere with romantically-charged lyrics that make the whole thing nearly impossible to resist.
Yolk is not an album for big choruses or hooks; it’s more of a destination to exhale and sink into – this lustrous indie-rock platform with a soft, emotional core. It’s the kind of album that feels equally appropriate whether you’re declaring your love or spending a solitary night tucked away within your own thoughts...and there will always be a place in the world for music like that.
When our time's up
We'll carry on
Like smoke after the fire's gone
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