Finally, a new batch of blankness from these guys.YSA have been pretty bust over the last year or so, with more than a few full lengths and ep's under their belt.If you missed the Cold Showers album, it's worth the hunt, indeed.Sparse electronic washes, coupled with tattered minimalist beats and woozy vocals that lie beneath it all.They aren't an easy act to describe, and they are constantly evolving and changing shape.2009's Parade of Thoughts/Can't Sleep LP was a bit of a leap into more accessible, and almost pop-driven terrain for them, with the addition of more subtle melodies and more structured minimal beats, with some catchy runs that carried along a clear and more tuneful vocal delivery.
They continue their hazy voyage into the myst with Unsung, their first release for the Shawn Reed's Night People label.The songs on this cassette are more "listenable" than ever.They are leaning heavy on the pop vibe, with some ridiculously catchy synth and organ lines rubbing up against one another.The still dish out some super minimal percussion that is similar to that "samba" setting on your old Casio keyboard, but with a bit of delays to keep things interesting and more fleshed out.The vocals are a bit more crisp and clear, with more obvious lyrics than before, and there's even a bit of treated acoustic guitar strumming scattered throughout the songs.A nice touch.
Some of this is similar to more recent Factums, especially their new one for Night People.It's those dub-tinged, delay soaked beats that pull this thing along, and keep it moving.Barely any low end rumbling at all, everything is right in the middle, and they do it almost too well.If you like your waves cold, and outsider bedroom pop, this is made for you.Excellent stuff, as always.