by Matt Keim
Yum! are making the kind of groovy jams that Lando Calrissian would get down to at his private island's cabana bar. Their self-titled tape exudes a casual opulence and a touch of carelessness, washing over you with a tropical VR breeze. They mix the wacky vocals of The Garden with the laid-back vibes of Little Joy, scooping up enough dance grooves to make you want to shake your booty, all from the comfort of your Lay-Z-Boy.
As a group, Yum! deals in laid-back vibes and eminent chill. Singers Nathan, Tyson, and Eddy murmur, speak, and sing back and forth, but never at each other. Instead, they look inward, and in contrast to the rest of the music, the lyrics speak of stress and daily inner turmoil. Lead single “Been Here Before” kicks off with that Yum! charm - the bubbling synths and a skittering beat - but the minute Nathan starts singing, they're questioning their ability to relate to others. This duality carries across the tape, and the endless search of the lyrics for some type of answer provides a psychological push through the music's comforting haze.
One song of the bunch stands out, “Guardian Angel,” and it's a solo acoustic number. Here, the inward search is not wrapped in the cozy cocoon that the rest of Yum! provides, and in all their nakedness they take the opportunity to talk about love. It's beautiful and broken and desperate. It's the raw feeling of being alone at the end of the night. All the exhaustion and sadness, but not without hope and excitement for the day to come. If Yum! keeps hitting the bullseye over my heart, I'll keep listening, and in the meantime I'll be carried away by their self-titled's endless wave.