As we begin to catch up with the present after being temporally lost for much of the summer period, I couldn’t help but notice that there was recently a missive in my inbox trumpeting a new DL single from Los Angeles’ finest technopop band, YACHT [Young Americans Challenging High Technology]. Boy Howdy, when I happened to see the band at the last Moogfest led in the city where the instruments were actually made, their riveting 2014 show was one of the twin highlights of the entire event for me. The other being the show by Disco Noveau band Escort; since you may ask. I had bought their then-current album, “Shangri-La” at the merch table afterward, but quickly lost the plot on the band; in spite of their “new toy” status.

When I was reviewing the PPM inbox, I thought that it would be high time to catch up with the course that YACHT were plotting currently. I sampled the new single on Bandcamp for all of 12 seconds before stopping and just buying it. I may wail and gnash my teeth over the dwindling music budget, but the day when I can’t impulse buy a DL at the going rate is the day to hang up my visor.

YACHT: Two Heads – US – DL [2023]

1. Two Heads 2:26

Reverse echo whipped us into the vortex of the song immediately as the chorus-laden voice of vocalist Claire Evans asked the musical question “who says two heard are better than one?” Then the slamming back beat and synthbass pulse immediately took us back in time 40 years to a jaunty slice of Prime New Wave Bop from just the point where MTV was acting as the gateway drug to the trend for America; albeit five years late. The vibe would put this one smack dab in the same zone as Hilary’s sublime “Kinetic.”

Ms. Evans was admirably channeling the “Deadpan Woman” vocal style I can’t get enough of while the song’s repeated second verse [which was technically its first chorus!] saw the guitars of Jona Bechtolt staking their claim in the song; enhancing the synths with their contrasting textures with a chord sequence ripped right out of “Summertime Blues.” I was thrilled by the deconstruction of Ms. Evens deadpanning “clap, clap, clap, clap” concurrently with the quartet of drum machine handclaps after the second verse, dripping wet with reverb.

The what I can only call the song’s major key second “hook” chorus followed in an unusual gambit that saw the song with a verse/chorus/chorus/verse/chorus/chorus/verse structure for a brief 2:26 song. Verse three was enhanced by some well-manipulated samples to lead into the second repeat of the first chorus where the synths dropped out, leaving the guitar at center stage with the cowbell while Jona joined in on the chorus. Sample below!

I have to mention that listening to this on earbuds while at my work desk revealed what sounds like a binaural soundfield that really takes our ears places; leading me to wonder if the “two heads” referenced in the lyric wasn’t actually a binaural dummy head! While I cited Hilary’s “Kinetic” as a signpost, I’m also detecting a lot of Lene Lovich musical DNA from songs like “Lucky Number” for the rhythms and “Blue Hotel” for the atonal synth hook on the “clap, clap, clap, clap” instances.

Memo to self: I need to round up the numerous stand-alone singles on Bandcamp and buy their last two albums on the silver disc. YACHT seem to hit all the right notes for me and their happy-making music should be proliferating more widely in the world. They are asking a pittance for this new one on Bandcamp so make sure you “tip” when purchasing. And if you prefer to hear it on Sp*t*fy make sure you listen 10,000 times so they still get the $1.00 they are asking for on Bandcamp. [Or 5,000 times if you use *ppl* M*s*c].

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