Posted on: June 21, 2007 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Dreadful Yawns – Rest / 2007 Exit Stencil / 10 Tracks / http://www.bomp.com / http://www.myspace.com/dreadfulyawns / Reviewed 17 June 2007

It has been a few years since I have had a chance to hear The Dreadful Yawns. In fact, it was 2005 when I last reviewed a Dreadful Yawns album. For their self titled album on Bomp, I said that the band had a down home and rootsy sound that would do them well on the GAC channel. For their next album, “Rest”, I would have to agree with what I said prior. This Cleveland band is a little bit more diverse in sound than how I described them previously.

There are tracks like “You’ve Been Recorded” that blend together an organic sound while calling on the emo of Bright Eyes, the folk-punk of Latterman, and the starry pop of the shoegazer genre all at the same time. Throw in a set of vocals that are reminiscent of Neil Young and one has a good start for what the Dreadful Yawns are doing on “Rest”. “Changing States” is a track that builds on the opening salvo that is “You’ve Been Recorded”, but reduces the energy of the band further. This is a trend for a number of the tracks on “Rest”, as the band is able to recast this slow-down by going into a more folksy, almost country style for their third track, “When I Lost My Voice”. “Candles” brings the band into a more tripped-out blend of Pink Floyd and The Eagles, with just a very minor hint of The Cure thrown in to keep individuals guessing.

I’m not sure if this is my own expansion as a reviewer or if the Dreadful Yawns have done it all themselves, but I find myself much more compelled by this album than by their prior disc. There is a story told with the vocals and the instruments on this disc, but that is only part of it; the tracks themselves tell the story of the full album, and that is why I find myself continuing to listen to “Rest” well after the review was completed. The Dreadful Yawns are the best thing to come out of Ohio in the last few years; their music on “Rest”, while not being the bleeding edge of experimentation, is a very compelling bit of indie rock that takes on the combined influences of the entire band to make something impressive. Check the entire discography out of the Dreadful Yawns and see how they have evolved in the last few years.

Top Tracks: Changing States, We Go Up

Rating: 7.2/10

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