Nick Llobet's band youbet has transitioned from their DIY indie pop roots to a more intense sound, as showcased in their self-titled third album. The album features Llobet's collaboration with new member Micah Prussack and co-producer Katie Von Schleicher, allowing for a fuller exploration of their musical impulses. The opening track, 'Ground Kiss,' exemplifies this intensity with its immediate distortion. Songs like 'See Thru' and 'Worship' highlight a shift towards a heavier sound, blending bittersweet melodies with grunge influences while Llobet's lyrics reflect unsettled anxiety through dreamy imagery.
"The tension starts in the first moments of the opening track, 'Ground Kiss.' It takes just 15 seconds before a lilting guitar melody is engulfed in a cloud of distortion. The first words that Llobet sings on the record consist of the equally ominous phrase 'my death has come.'"
"Tracks like 'See Thru' and 'Worship' show a shift into a higher gear. The latter, in particular, braids the bittersweet melodies of anorak-sporting vintage twee with ear-bleeding country-grunge that evokes Meat Puppets' heaviest squalls."
"Over the top of these more ragged edges, Llobet takes a pointillistic approach to lyric writing, favoring half-thoughts and dreamy images that coalesce into a picture of unsettled anxiety."
Read at Pitchfork
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