I was a bit apprehensive about reviewing Yesterdays Rising�s Lightworker. I�m pretty open-minded when it comes to music, and a quick listen on Purevolume showed this to be on the slightly darker, heavier side of what I usually listen to. I was optimistic, however, because it seemed to be something I�d fully enjoy all the same. Sadly, I wasn�t very impressed. Now don�t get me wrong�I love Fearless Records and (usually) the stuff they put out. But I found it very hard to get into this album for several reasons.
The songs lack structure and togetherness. The way they�re put together, you�d think that each member went off and wrote his own part by himself, and when they met up again, the parts were mixed just hoping they�d sound good. If there are definite verses and a chorus, I�ve missed them because I can hardly understand a thing their vocalist is singing. (And this is when he�s not doing his awkwardly forced-sounding screaming.) The other members don�t help clear this up as they hurriedly jump from one note and beat to the next, leaving huge whirls of dust that obscure the footprints they�ve left behind. There are no riffs or recognizable melodies that could potentially give the songs a form to then build upon; they�re building on a foundation that hardly exists.
While researching Yesterdays Rising, I read that �Loss� was written when a band member�s family member who had passed away. I listened to the song (again, looking up the lyrics after several minutes trying to pick out discernable words) and thought, �I really wouldn�t have been able to tell what it was about if someone hadn�t told me.� This is the case with many of the other songs on the album. Perhaps their lyrics would have a deeper meaning and significance to the listener if included was a detailed explanation of what inspired the song. Alas, there is no lyrical clarification to be found for the majority of the songs, thus rendering them fully appreciable by only a small fraction of listeners. To the rest, the songs seem identical: a clash of hurriedly smashed-together instrumental lines topped with distorted vocals and the daily recommended dosage of darkness. The only way I can tell the tracks apart is by the titles, which are repeated throughout their respective songs. I had hope for the cleverly named �My Body is Like a Metaphor,� but I was let down, as I would be several more times in the songs following.
On the one track that doesn�t sound as aggressive as the rest, �My Conscious Curiosity,� the band goes for a softer, more contemplative approach. The lyrics are definitely more understandable and the instruments are easier to listen to individually� but I almost wish they weren�t. Yesterdays Rising has a mind-blowing amount of talent. If they could tighten their sound with catchier melodies, lyrics enjoyable by a larger audience, and some sort of structure or organization in their songs, they�d be much better off. I understand that perhaps this is exactly how they want to sound, but if they can�t find a way to reach out to more sets of ears, no one will be able to appreciate what they�re doing and how much hard work they�re putting into their music.
I�m looking forward to the band�s next release, though. Hopefully by the time their next album comes out, they�ll have smoothed out the rough parts in their sound (while keeping their trademark raw, thrashing edge) and more people will come to love what Yesterdays Rising has to offer.
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A.A. '05 |
