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SXSW review: Yuck
Yuck belong in a club. Well, that’s not fair—good for them for getting to play in front of so many people at Stubb’s on Wednesday night. But at the end of the day, that crowd, channeling their energy toward conversation, cigarettes and camera phones, did not do the band justice. The London-based group — of lead singer/guitarist Daniel Blumberg, guitarist Max Bloom, drummer Jonny Rogoff and bassist Mariko Doi — released their self-titled debut in February and should be playing for fans. They started the show standing still, a bad sign, one that said they were cold at the beginning of the festival and it would be a boring set. Thankfully that wasn’t the case. These songs are good. Really good.
Part of what makes Yuck, with their almost universally despised name, a pleasure to listen to live is their range. In one moment they are playing a fairly straightforward rocker like “Holing Out,” only to move on to hazy pop songs like “Suicide Policeman” and from there on to more shoegaze-influenced fare, including the closer “Rubber”. There is something so pleasing about their sound throughout. Blumberg can sing well enough, hitting his notes with a detached whine that’s just right for these songs. And the guitars provide lush ear candy even when the band is in hypnotic drone mode.
Based on Blumberg’s stage presence and sad-sounding banter, the whole thing was a little overwhelming for them, but they still nailed the set.
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