On their long-awaited second album YONAKA have rediscovered their centre of gravity. Will you be satisfied? For sure.
There’s a version of reality where this is YONAKA's last hurrah. The Brighton trio’s foundations were wobbling a few years ago, as they questioned whether or not they had a future, but the thought of bringing the axe down on the band brought a sense of terror rather than relief. Ultimately, that fear of the end has defibrillated them. Arriving six years after debut Don’t Wait ’Til Tomorrow, this second album is an act of both recentering and rediscovery. Above all, it finds them sounding brilliantly alive.
After darting into new realms across 2021 mixtape Seize The Power and 2023’s Welcome To My House, arguably with mixed results, the band have drilled down to the essence of what made them unique in the first place. They sound rawer, more organic, while preserving every gram of their catchiness.
Problems is a gritty exploration of the ugly side of intimacy with a buzzing, firecracker-like chorus, while the vivacious Miss Millennial fizzes with barbed riffs, sassy melodies and percussion that practically pops. Cruel, meanwhile, sensuously glides between the dirty and the digital sides of their sound, and Trouble Follows’ strutting basslines hit like sugar to the bloodstream.
The first half of the album is slightly stronger than the second, and there’s a couple of moments that don’t quite land. Best Of Me doesn’t escape the box of textbook arena balladry, for example, and Do It For You drifts in the middle lane without making a tremendous impact.
Still, these are far outweighed by the successes, especially where their upbeat moments are concerned, from the dancefloor-born Stay A Little While Longer to the breezy indie of At The Beach. All of these add up to create some of the best music that YONAKA have created in years.
Verdict: 4/5
For fans of: VUKOVI, South Arcade, The Hunna
Until You’re Satisfied is out now via Distiller
