The slow and impending doom of Yammerers latest track, The Beachgoer, is truly something to be in awe of. It’s as if Kyuss wrote a song for The Cures “Disintegration”. Wailing guitars, feedback, howling vocals and dissonance all used at a hauntingly slow pace, backed up of course by a powerful rhythm section. However, there are still some kinks to work out…
There are many influences at play here including stoner rock and goth, which is a combination I just adore. The intro is especially gothic with spoken word, bass and a droning stringed instrument which is most likely a guitar through a bucket load of effects though it is hard to place through all the sheer noise. The Beachgoer opens up into a pounding ambiance when the drums kick in, however it is a beat rather typical for the style, and I would perhaps like to see some improvement on that front. Still, they do their job and it certainly works well. The screeching guitars feedbacking all over the place is definitely powerful, and I must applaud the vocalist for bringing such emotion to the track. I did notice on a couple of occasions that his voice was struggling a bit to stay in key on the longer notes, mostly towards the start of the track.
I also have concerns when I comes to the production, less so the mix, you can hear everything and it is balanced well. My issue is with the tone of each instrument. With the exception of the vocals a lot of this track could be improved. The drum sound is rather boring and exactly what I would have expected from this genre. I want to be surprised. I would suggest they take a bit more of an influence from the gothic side of things when it comes to the drums, perhaps layer the snare with some midi electronic sounds to give it that extra punch. The bass too, just feels a bit uninspired. On a track like this the rhythm section is critical, and again while it does its job and is played well, the tone could be improved drastically with EQ and perhaps some re-amping. As for the guitars, we really could have done with a different texture. Adding in a clean guitar in certain sections would give the track the respite it sorely needs, we all love distortion, but it’s a bit too intense on the gain side and goes far too heavy for far too long.
You may be thinking from my numerous complaints that I am not a fan, while in fact nothing could be further from the truth, I wish more bands went in a slower, more experimental direction. They all play well and I have no doubt that this kicks ass live. This track has a lot of potential, with a better producer and some work on the dynamics this could be truly a masterpiece. Yammerer are so close to greatness on this one and I believe with time they will create something truly special. It’s a bit of tough love from someone like me that I hope pushes them to do just that.
While I very much like this track in concept, it is brooding, monstrous and ultimately I would recommend adding it to your playlists, there are a few issues I have with it when it comes to its execution. What Yammerer do next however, could blow your mind entirely.
Peace, Love and Cowbells,
Oscar