From the textured slip case and comic book graphics to the rich recorded sound this debut Yards album is a big fat guitar-totin' tribute to the great bits of Olde Americana. As well as being a confirmation that THE YARDS are as good an English band as we always thought they were.
However much Chris Helme protests that "The Devil Is Alive And Well And In DC" (to become a download single on April 4th) he just loves the open hearted honesty and directness of American music. Unaffected is a good word. There's no pretending on this recording, no costume parade, no splashing on of this year's commercial scent. Its good songs sung and played with a lot of style. So maybe it's more accurate to say it's American in spirit tha American in style.
It has been some time in the making, and you can tell. While vocal tracks have still got the personal touch, the layers of bass, drums and keyboards are lovingly put together so nothing leaks and nothing gets knocked out of line. Production credits are shared between the band and Alan Leach (SHED SEVEN) of York's very tidy Studio Seven. The drum sound on the opening bars of the album are a good reference point. Big and beefy, but obviously a real kit and not a Hammer House of Horrors digital freak. By the end of "Forget Your Regrets" we're reassured that this is going to be a quality album.
Some nicely lo-fi slide playing and laid back vocals give "Get Off My Back" a great start and Jon Hargreaves pops in some quirky stabs of keyboard sound that lift those reviewer spirits. We already know the pounding "The Devil Is Alive And Well and In DC", but here it sounds angrier and more focussed for being super-disciplined. "Only Myself To Blame" at track 4 is the classic Helme theme song. This would be the one they would play on the wireless. Big tune. Stu Fletcher's bass makes a great contribution and there are some lovely guitar noises.
"Crime" has one of those sweetly tumbling bass lines that demand close attention. Helme's voice is as good as I've ever heard it. And he always did have a good voice for a song. As strongly as any of the 11 tracks on the album "Crime" demonstrates the general production idea that we are listening to a band playing and singing. Sure, the parts were recorded meticulously and in stages. But THE YARDS have done these songs often enough live now, and the studio ambience seems to have been good-to-perfect. So an organic and natural feel is what you get.
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The equally sumptuous second half of the album starts with "On The Inside": chunky organ chords and a mournful lyric. "Superhuman" is a sweet two part harmony thing that reminds us of Chris Helme's accomplished solo work (even though the band put in a pretty strong showing) and "Pure" could be a Music Hall song till the band crash in and comes on a bit epic, with Mr Banks co-writing. "California" gives us the second US State in the track listing along with some nice low-down backbeat and distorted vocal winding sinuously to a screamed chorus. Tight and tense.
"Fireflies" is a long sweet thing that glows in the dark. And final track "Up Till Dawn" confirms THE YARDS as a long-lasting prospect with a Mississippi blues start and a fine little love song to follow. The viola part is just another production treat that confirms the wisdom of recording where you are with people your know and trust.
This first album was 100% worth the wait. While strobe light careers dazzle the pop world, The Yards' beguiling neon glow will keep the customers rolling on over the hill for a long while yet.
www.theyards.org
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