In August NME spent two days in Seattle with Yuck. Alongside tales of poisoned dogs and trigger-happy policemen, the band grizzled away on such subjects as their slacker rock lineage, their fear of America, and their reluctance to answer dumb questions. At one point a documentary maker grabbed them for a chat about the threat of the internet for indie bands. Frontman Daniel Blumberg – DIY holiness pounding through his veins – yanked his shirt over his head and rocked awkwardly, moaning, “I can’t do this.” It was like a fuzzy rewind to 1990, watching Kurt at his insubordinate best. Yuck, it seems, are so indie it hurts.
Which makes it all the more weird to be repackaging their barely 10-month-old debut with a load of B-sides as an obvious cash-in on their new semi-fame. Worry not, though: it’s worth it for this, the one new tune on the record. Unsurprisingly, it’s no reinvention. Blumberg’s trademark whine carries beautifully across the downbeat slo-mo melody as guitars intertwine over a choral falsetto (a nod to a bigger, more heavily produced sound on the next record, possibly?). There’s a whiff of Blumberg’s glum side-project Oupa in the opening bars, but once you’ve banished those thoughts it’s a timely reminder of one of the year’s most brilliant debuts, and a peek at their exciting future.
Soothe Me by Yuck
Mike Williams, Deputy Editor
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