With a clever, pared back mix of guitars, beats, synths and distinctive vocals, the Londoner’s follow-up to 2019’s Miss Universe has a more focused musical identity and style, in this excellent set of variously twisted love songs. Opener The Dealer sets a cracking pace, Shameless fuses dreamy shoegaze with acoustic guitar and beautiful, breathy melody, Stabilise (a previously Song of the Day) is a wonderful spoken-word track that zips along like a train, while Chase Me chugs along with mesmeric distortion. Midnight Sun, or Trouble, with barebones drums and distorted guitars, is reminiscent at times of Radiohead, though different of course with Yanya’s own singing style, somewhere between breathy, husky, dark and dreamy, with a full-bodied quality that sometimes reminds of Joan Armatrading. Fulfilling the promise of her debut album, while drawing on elements of the 80s and 90s, Yanya has definitely created her own sound in this mature, fully-formed and fascinating second LP. Out on ATO.
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