A Day in a Yellow Beat

UK発 新鋭シンガー・ソング・ライター=Yellow Days(イエロー・デイズ)待望のセカンド・アルバム『A Day in a Yellow Beat』

UK南イングランド出身のシンガー・ソング・ライターGeorge Van Den Broek(ジョージ・ヴァン・デン・ブルーク)のソロ・プロジェクト、Yellow Days(イエロー・デイズ)。 2016年に僅か17歳で7曲入りEP『Harmless Melodies』でデビュー。翌2017年には1st フル・アルバム『Is Everything Okay In Your World?』を発売。ソウル、ブルースをベースに、サンダー・キャットやマック・デマルコにも影響を受けた先鋭的なサウンドは絶賛を浴び、2019年には単独来日公演も実現した。セカンド・アルバムとなる本作『A Day in a Yellow Beat』は、マック・デマルコ、ジョン・キャロル・カービーといった今注目の個性溢れるアーティストをゲストに迎え、昨今のロンドンの音楽シーンとも呼応するハイセンスなインディ・ポップアルバムとなった。彼のサウンドの特徴である、ヴィンテージ感溢れるソウル・ミュージックとチルでレイジーなボーカルがミックスされたサウンドは健在。2ndアルバムでの更なる飛躍に大きな注目が集まっている。

The perplexing, often fun, and certainly lengthy A Day in a Yellow Beat from British oddball George van den Broek is both an ambitious leap of faith and a journey of playful self-indulgence. Known professionally as Yellow Days, the 21-year-old singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist certainly isnt lacking in confidence, offering up as his sophomore release (and major-label debut) a hefty double-albums worth of wonky faux-soul, indie synth-funk, and sampledelic bedroom pop, all deeply rooted in the 1960s and 70s. Much like Mac DeMarco did for that eras soft rock, Yellow Days sets his D.I.Y. sights on an amalgam of vintage R&B, jazz, funk, and soul, which he ties together in groovy, warped tracks that range from long multi-part jams to brief skits sampling a mix of ironically square PSA-type characters and legitimate heroes like Ray Charles. Forgoing the creature comforts of his home studio/shed, van den Broek headed to sunny Los Angeles where he teamed up with an eclectic cast of collaborators including DeMarco, New York rapper Bishop Nehru, and veteran Detroit soul singer Shirley Jones of Jones Girls fame. Beneath its busy beats and feel-good funk cheer teems a roiling undercurrent of angst and existential anxiety adding to the records slightly off-kilter feel. Even on standouts like Keep Yourself Alive and Lets Be Good to Each Other, its hard to tell if van den Broek is joking, paying homage, or expressing himself with supreme earnestness. Likely its a bit all three, which can make absorbing his music a bit tricky. Still, thats part of Yellow Days enigma and whatever his angle, hes got talent to spare. At 23 tracks, theres a little something for everyone and despite its length, A Day in a Yellow Beat is not without its rewards. ~ Timothy Monger