The London-based, lo-fi rock band Yuck rewarded its niche group of fans Monday night at the Crescent Ballroom in downtown Phoenix.
Toward the end of its set, lead man Max Bloom told the fans the band was releasing a new EP in the spring and wanted to play a song that had not been released yet. Immediately Bloom ripped through an opening lead, moving up and down the pentatonic scale and the rest of the band joined to perform the new song, “Another One.”
The new song was classic Yuck. It featured heavy gain on the guitar, simple short lyrics and just the right amount of fuzz coming through Bloom’s mic so fans could barely understand what he was singing. The song should be the next single of the group’s new EP.
Yuck is known for songs like “Another One,” so the band wasted no time at the start of the show. Busting into its single “Middle Sea,” the band continued with songs that tested the speakers and had Ballroom fans bobbing their heads to the fast-paced music.
But hardcore fans of the group know Yuck also can slow it down.
While the concert started off rocking, about halfway through bassist Mariko Doi took the lead and the two of them sang the song “Lose My Breath,” proving the show as a sandwich of two strengths.
“Lose My Breath” is half the speed as usual and built on Doi’s softer voice. Couple that with a melodic guitar and Bloom slowly playing one note at a time and "Lose My Breath" was a wonderful contrast to the rest of the concert.
Then the unthinkable happened, and Bloom pulled out an acoustic guitar and started playing “Nothing New.” The song is different from all the rest, featuring a building organ in the background.
To finish off the set, the foursome jumped right back into the type of songs that gives them recognition. Bloom turned up the effects pedal on his guitar and the band busted through its single “Get Away.” Then Doi showed her range and belted out the lyrics to “The Wall.”
Opening act shout out
Yuck did not have any band tour with them so it gave the stage to three local Phoenix bands. One group worth mentioning was the band called Bear State, which performed right before Yuck.
The best talent of the group is the dueling act of the two guitar players. They used a good amount of reverb to create an interesting, echoing sound as they both played. However, the vocals of the group were not impressive and needed improvement.
In sum, the concert was a fantastic display of all of Yuck's natural talent, but also a refreshing look at the music coming through and born out of Phoenix.
Reach the reporter at ehubbard@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @Edmund_Hubbard
