by Scott Yohe
Somewhere over there, away from everyone else is Arbor Labor Union’s new album Yonder. The Atlanta-based “cosmic twang” band is picking up where they left off from 2020’s New Petal Instants. They have returned with an album with more twang, more smiles, and even more chooglin’ good times. If you are unaware of what the word ‘chooglin’ means, please refer to the song “Keep on Chooglin” by Creedence Clearwater Revival. Arbor Labor Union show their ability to keep evolving into new sounds, leaving the more standard post-punk sound behind for a more southern-tinged version.
Yonder begins “Hovering Stone” which chugs along with a twangy bass line driving the guitars, and drums that keep the whole thing together. The lyrics abstractly sing about some stone, that is of course hovering. After that, we are given “Heartwork,” a song all about your heart and the hard work that it does. The twang can really be felt at the end of the song. “Forevergreen” is an easy one to chant along with and almost impossible to not tap your foot with. The lead single, “Always Wear Your Shadow Hat,” shows off some of the stranger instrumentation on the album and is accompanied by an equally strange vocal performance.
The title track seems to be the thesis of the whole album. The lyrics define, in several different ways, just what “Yonder” means. Perhaps the best way to put it is “Yonder how much further must we go? Yonder still until there ain’t no place left to go(know).” “Killing Time” is maybe the catchiest song on the album, an extremely laid-back groove is provided to bob along with. “Remember to Water Your Head” is about as classic Arbor Labor Union you can get, in their typical clever and jovial way. The album closes with “Tonight's Moving Picture” which acts as the perfect send-off to the album. It has everything you could want from the band, there’s twang, it choogles, and it has their trademark goofy lyrics.
As an album, Yonder is almost impossible to not bob your head with. It is hard not to get lost in the songs, to not feel some sense of joy with them. For a record that is rightfully described as chooglin’, there isn’t a groove or a song that overstays its welcome. Yonder clocks in at 33 minutes and only two songs are longer than three minutes. The reason they are able to make this work is that Arbor Labor Union locks in the groove, lets you get comfortable in it, then gracefully lets you out. They are a band that has a smile on their face and wants you to have one on yours as well. Yonder is an album that provides every opportunity for someone to just sit back and have a good time with the music, and is there really anything more that you could ask for?