Yellow Yesterday - #2

#2, Yellow Yesterday
Independiente, Mexico
Rating: 69
by Jean-Stephane Beriot

Yellow Yesterday used to be the charming, yet lonesome one-man band of Andrés Ibarra Rios better known as Chelito. In the beginning of 2009 we described his homonym debut as “the soundtrack to a Sundance movie.” I’m happy to inform you that both Chelito and our descriptive writing have grown into the communion of their respective mediums. Yellow Yesterday (named after The Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine” and “Yesterday”) is a now a four-piece band that has also expanded its soundscape significantly. This is not to say the band has found firm ground; their articulation is still uneven, but not too bad for a band known for its "little songs."

An earlier CF track review of “Y Es Así” revealed the band had found “the warmth of sunlight, the complexity of instruments, and the comfort of the Spanish language.” #2, the band’s sophomore EP, arrives with hummable effervescence and striking nuances of immediacy. The first two tracks are self-revisions from the band’s English-language debut, which immediately suggests they’re pointing towards reformation. It’s not that Yellow Yesterday is trying to hang on to its past, they’re just taking a glimpse back to their beginnings for melodic alignment and perhaps rejoice their arsenal echelon. Both tracks are elevated into more profound and purposeful pieces, to such an extent that the original cuts play back as sketchy rough drafts. Above all, it’s the band’s decision to recondition the songs in the Spanish language that finds the band so disarmingly sincere.

Album highlight “Mi Papel” is a beguiling track in "Window Seat" mode that’s not too far apart from The Decemberists or some of the earlier stuff from Deerhunter. While there’s nothing really unique in the band’s methods or technique, the band succeeds in the innate simplicity of its chords, revealing polished synths, and stirring echoes. The anthemic and unassuming “Corres Deprisa” sounds like a leftover off Zurdok’s Hombre Sintetizador, and that’s the nicest thing I could possibly say to an up-and-coming band. Yellow Yesterday is still too inclined to the hipster totem (the handclapping in “Ciudad” is irksome), but they’re committed to their moody sound and unadorned lyrics, a more than respectable approach to songcraft. Between #2 and their recent contribution to Little Richard of the Valley (a tribute to Ricardo Valenzuela Reyes), the band is close to pretty close to finding its purpose.

♫♫♫ "Mi Papel" | Download EP | Facebook

Little Richard of the Valley: Un tributo a Ricardo Valenzuela Reyes

NWLA (New Weird Latin America) is the continuation of the legendary and inspirational Mexican netlabel The Poni Republic. Although the music collective has evolved into a music news portal, they’re still holding EP/album releases as their main dish. Today they released their most conceptually-driven (and wonderfully ambitious) album yet: a tribute to Chicano rock father Ritchie Valens. Trying to put Valens’ legacy into words is as challenging as trying to understand the icon died at just 17 years old. NWLA recruited nine acts to pay tribute to the artist in the album Little Richard of the Valley: Un tributo a Ricardo Valenzuela Reyes. Some of the highlights from the album include a pop (almost twee) version of “Come On! Let's Go!” by Yellow Yesterday, a revelatory “Oh Donna” by Los Macuanos, and the classic “La Bamba” by Joe Volume. Other contributing bands include compilation all-stars Piyama Party, Childs, and Ella Tiene Dos Androides.

♫♫♫ "Orale" (Oh My Head) - Piyama Party
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MP3: Yellow Yesterday - "Y Es Así"

Yellow Yesterday is the one-man band by Mexico City’s Andres Ibarra Rios, who just unveiled his sophomore EP #2, the follow up to his charming self-titled debut. We liked the first album well enough, but upon first listen, #2 is far more interesting. This time around, he leaves the winter-trip out of the picture; instead, he finds the warmth of sunlight, the complexity of instruments, and the comfort of the Spanish language. This transition is clearly noticeable in “Y Es Así”, a new adaptation of “Choices”, the great highlight from his previous album. The translation is unobtrusive to the catchy melody and production-wise, everything sounds very clean. A clever change of an environment.



#2 is now available for free download over at Bandcamp.

♫♫♫ "Y Es Asi"

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Yellow Yesterday EP

YELLOW YESTERDAY EP, 
YELLOW YESTERDAY
The Poni Republic, Mexico ***1/2
Rating: 76
By Carlos Reyes

Mexico’s indie net label The Poni Republic presented us with five of the most exciting acts of 2008: Nuuro, En Ventura, Carrie, Bufi & Jovenes y Sexys. The poni is becoming a landmark of quality, so it is a good idea to have the first 2009 review with the release of another breakthrough, Yellow Yesterday. In case you haven’t noticed, I have a thing for the lo-fi pop made in Latin America; it still carries an intriguing innocence with it, especially that effortless flowing that confronts simplicity. As expressed on the release, this is especially powerful when listening on a winter trip as I did; the outcome is both an intimate and accessible treat. The charm should be able to transcend well and even acclimate the listener and that would ultimately be the album’s greatest challenge, but never underestimate the power of the EP format. From first listen, this is the kind of stuff one is used to find coming out of a Sundance and its festival indie movies. Pay special attention to “Choices”, which I found marvelous, perhaps because it’s the only piece that gets it right on its vocalization, and it’s bouncy instrumentation is ambitious and targets global proportions, because it been in the English language shouldn’t be enough to reach the masses. “Somehow you don’t mind to be heartbroken again”, lyrics-wise is also radiant, who wouldn’t welcome an honest song about choice? Probably the leading track to promote this novel act from Mexico City is “Girl”, a tragically optimistic goodbye well instrumented by strings that although are bright, function on a very moving track. The other two tracks “Sunday Song” and “My Place” I found to be transitional, but nonetheless beautiful comfy minutes that show valuable content. Yellow Yesterday where virtue finds itself on great gentle musical steps to be retained.

♫♫♫ “Choices”

Download Full Album [The Poni Republic Website]

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