Album Review: Bill Ryder-Jones - Yawn

The fifth solo record from the baby-faced multi-instrumentalist and former guitarist of Liverpudlian band The Coral is sombre, quiet and reflective. Pixies, My Bloody Valentine and Spiritualized are obvious influences. For example, There Are Worse Things I Could Do is a reinterpretation of sort for Where Is My Mind? while Happy Song is close to a summary of Songs In A&E if it was done by J Mascis.

With an average song time of about five minutes, it’s an album that requires a few spins to fully appreciate and get into; a casual listen risks the album being dismissed too soon as sounding samey and bleak. But despite its initial down-tempo mood, it progresses into something that is both heartfelt and poignant, and lyrically uplifting in manageable doses. Listen to the songs Don’t Be Scared, I Love You and And Then There’s You and you’ll see.

Worth a listen if you’re into any of the above-mentioned artists or looking for something to chill out to during your summer come-down.