(Photo Credit - Jack Sheppard)
Advance Review - Yumi Zouma: Truth or Consequences (March 13, 2020)
On March 13th Yumi Zouma will be releasing their third album, Truth or Consequences. This self-produced album, with the help of highly-acclaimed engineer Jake Aron (Solange, Grizzly Bear, Snail Mail) delivers a fresh narrative of “contemplation, duality and hard truths”. The feel-good indie record delivers soft melodies with echoey, nostalgic instrumentals. A dream-pop record you would find on your 2020 indie summer playlist.
The band’s history of a long-distance relationship has manifested itself into this album, as you yourself explore the themes of ambiguity, heartbreak, and inaccessibility they write about.
“In the age we’re living in, there’s an emphasis on making things clear cut… The truth is usually in the gray zones, and I think that’s so much of what we were trying to explore and understand on this album.” -Josh Burgess
The apparent themes on this album right off the bat are dreamy, lightweight vocals with refreshing lyrical density. The back and forth of Simpson and Burgess on Magazine Bay is a perfect demonstration.
Records like these are scarce in that the balance between song diversity and cohesiveness of the tracks are perfect. These tunes are easily identified as belonging to Truth or Consequences but are still beautifully heterogeneous.
A personal favorite on the album is "Lonely After". A perfect start to the record, this track has a feel-good, chill vibe that sets the tone for the rest of the album.
Honestly, you could play this album on repeat and dance to it all night. The breathiness of the vocals combined with beats that you can't resist bopping your head to, unified with a diverse set of synths, simply can’t be beat. If you get a chance, get your hands on this album and give it a listen from front to back.
Rating - 4.5/5
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