Currents EP is the first release from the Southern California band Covet which is fronted by the highly talented and prolific solo artist Yvette Young, formerly of the band Astrochasm, who have since regrouped w/o Yvette into a band called Tufon.
This long awaited EP was released on December 22nd of 2015 and features Yvette Young fronting a full band consisting of drummer Keith Grimshaw and bassist David Adamiak. Yvette’s fans are until recently accustomed to hearing her songs solo on just a guitar so this is a real treat for all of her long time followers. If you’re already a die-hard fan of Yvette Young’s music then you (like I) have been hearing most of these songs for a few months. Even if you’re already familiar with the composition, the bass and drums are like late party walk-ins - ready to turn shit up.
You will find nothing less than math rock at it’s finest and most complex here with Covet. There are occasional vocal fills, only used as accentuation when needed. Those oh’s and ah’s are very punctual!
In “Pelagic”, the pulsating beats of the tom drums are like thunderous waves battering a sea bank - as per the EP’s title. The furiously quick sliding and tapped notes on the high strings of Yvette’s 7 stringed Strandberg guitar are like thousands of piercing prickly little raindrops hitting you in quick succession during a cold night’s squall.
“Nautilus” gets down to business quickly. There’s so much going on yet it’s still easy to follow. There are a couple catchy bridges in the middle, and in the ending we hear excellent usage of a delay pedal with a fast tapped out build up and then sudden slowing of the tempo as if to send us on our voyage to the charming and slide-heavy, tap-happy riffage of the 3rd track:
“Hydra” which hooks me with its recurring short pattern before reaching out to the turbulent sea waters of the next song “Charybdis”
“Charybdis” is a frenetically speeding no-nonsense song displaying lightning-fast tempo changes and string tapping action from start to finish.. The interaction between 6:4, 12:16 and 6:8 then 3:4 followed by 6 with bars of 5 embedded is a treat. Then bars of 9,11 & 13 extensions from the first 6:4 riff. Six’s frames and it’s flexibility within the subdivision matrix providing its progression into the longer time signatures riddling the previous foundation is what make this song rock! I love its unapologetic complexity and brashness! I admire music that I have to listen to more than one time to understand it, it’s like a puzzle for my ears.
“Sea Dragon” There’s a slow start to this song, then haunting vocal “ahh” fills build up to the song taking shape and transforming into a delightfully upbeat and sharp “melt-your-face” tapping riff. Like a cold blast of air on your face in the morning, the volume drastically and startlingly increases. The super catchy angular bass line provides a sharp accent to the twinkly sounding guitar while the ghostly vocal fills come back to haunt us towards the end.
Yvette’s guitar is the star of this show and the driving force behind every song. “Adventure rock” is a descriptive tag on Covet’s bandcamp site, and is a very fitting description as every song feels like it’s guiding you through a different leg of its journey. Pack a lunch, tie your shoes - it’s a winding tale of abrupt changes in time signatures and moods.
I often find myself headbanging to Covet! If you love the sporadic time signature changes of the Bulletproof Tiger, the insanely technical calculated chaotic guitar work of Pete Davis from the band Invalids, or if you appreciate talented skillful guitar work and song structure in general, you’ll love Covet.
You can tell by listening that a lot of thought was put into the writing of every second of these songs and so I’m dedicating a lot of time to listening to them. If there’s one thing missing from Currents EP that isn’t the obvious lack of Yvette’s much missed lyrics it would take me going on a Sea Odyssey to find it! Covet is active and touring so watch out for them in your city! -M Chan
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"Acoustics EP" the latest release from Southern California singer songwriter Yvette Young; is an early flower on a sprouting tree. Yvette Young counts as two people due to the high work output of and also due to her just being an all around multi-talented badass. She’s a prolific songwriter & a math rock workhorse. Most people generally excel in only one field and are just alright in others, this 22 year old innovative guitarist is also an accomplished pianist, a talented working artist/painter and an educator. I can only play one of her songs and even then I have to slow it down to a normal human speed, she’s so quick and extremely dexterous that It’s almost superhuman. I’ve never heard an artist that could captivate me as quickly and as deeply as Yvette Young can. Her signature blend of folk and fast technical math rock riffs make me feel comfortable, like I am where I belong (close to the speakers), although her style is unique and completely original the familiarity aspect is ever present throughout her highly technical melodious soundscape, due in part to the influences she usually lists such as Toe, American Football and pretend. Her siren songs take me home,
The song "A Map, A String, A Light" will lull you into a relaxing bliss then all of a sudden pick up the pace with tappy mathy intricacies, her fret board aflame, smoke rising.
When my time runs out and when my blood runs cold, I’ll know what to do. Her voice transcending clarity, hitting every pitch and note perfectly is on par with any renowned singer you can think of.
Track 3 “The Tide” is super emo for a song about laundry detergent! All joking aside, when I first saw Yvette play this song a couple years ago I was flabbergasted! I looked at her fingers and thought it was just impossible to move that fast, although this version is a bit slower, all of the parts are there. I told myself that If I could learn this song, only then could I say with conviction that I’m a good guitarist. I can play all the parts! Yvette starts out with a brisk finger-picking riff. The second riff of the song is all tapping, pull-offs and slides accompanied by a rise in the pitch of her vocals. Sing it sister! The third riff is pure tapping, a play on octaves, and a perfect example of beauty in simplicity. The great thing about music is that it can change and evolve, however, if I had to critique this version, I’d have to say that the delay on the second and third riffs drown out the sharpness and punch that those riffs should evoke and deliver. This is a solid track. I encourage everyone to check out her Youtube Channel to hear different versions of her songs. This is my favorite Yvette Young song, although “Sea Odyssey” & and “Nautilus” are following very closely behind.
Track Three “Mermaid” displays those aspects of familiarity I spoke of earlier. It’s got that down home charm, that feeling like you’ve heard this before but you can’t quite place it. Yvette’s guitar in this song will embrace you in its soft and gentle arms, letting you know that it’s guiding you through a choking abusive storm and that in the end the sun is shining, the waves are rolling in, and you’re safe. At around 3:10 into the song, the guitar pattern that ensues can only be described as a feeling of contentedness, happiness, symmetry, and as odd as it sounds; distress. All the while as this comforting riff plays out, the lyrics become dark and extremely personal, alluding to distress in a relationship, it’s quite a house divided. The upstroke riff at 3:10 that comes in after the tapping just makes me feel like I’m sipping hot chocolate by the fire in my cozy living room, on a cold winter day.
In “Of Age” Yvette starts out with a frenetically fast mathy tapping riff then ever so subtlety softens us up with a finger plucked rolling tune alongside patented “ooh ooh” vocal fills. I asked Yvette what this song was about when it first came out, and at first she mentioned various general topics, so I suppose the song is about more than one subject, she did mention that she has a few friends of the family who had recently passed away and that this song was (at least in part) for them. This song for me, at that time and for that reason, made me think of my Dad. Stay where you are, he stayed as long as he could.. He waited until I was able to make it to see him before he left. This song really strikes a chord. Quick tapping riffs see us through to the end of this masterpiece.
Hauntsly pinkerdinkle; This guitar/violin hybrid song with vocals is a change of pace and a brilliant ending to an EP brimming with passion, mixed emotions, soul, math, blisterin’ riffs and face melting tapping action to set your heart aflame. Do yourself a favor and don't skip this song.
This virtuoso pianist, on par with any notable classical music composer, has gotten a hold of a guitar and somehow made it her new piano,Yvette Young was pretty much a child-prodigy pianist, I encourage you to check out this video:
http://youtu.be/lllpjFpTT0w Yvette has only been playing guitar for at most 6 years. Playing a piano is essentially tapping on strings anyways, she’s just taking the keys away and using her fingers as hammers. Yvette’s experimentation with guitar has resulted in overlapping textures, harmonious gentle melodies and rapid time signature changes that hook you quick and don’t let go until they’ve pulled you in completely. Yvette Young’s first studio ep is a milestone marker, an intoxicating wisp of aroma that lingers a moment then escapes as quickly as it entered, leaving you longing for more. Yvette used to say that she didn’t want to be famous, but her style is one that demands attention!! Yvette your music speaks to my soul. - M Chan To read my review about Yvette's latest release:
Covet - Effloresce Click Small Pic Below:
THE MATH ROCK MOVIE: