Watery dream pop meets industrial hyper-pop. Do I even need to say more? It’s an unlikely combination, but when Yeule balances out the ethereal swell with the walloping, maximalist pop crunch they bring to the table, it’s almost too easy to recommend.
What caught me off guard was how strong the hooks were. Despite the wailing synths and the walls of distortion, there’s an impressive melodic integrity to this album that’s imperative in why it works. It’s offbeat and weird, but never unapproachable. It helps that Yeule has a naturally inviting vocal delivery: sugary sweet. These songs go down super easy as a result.
The low key restraint of ‘ghosts’ and ‘inferno’ make them easy standouts, as well as the more delicate arrangement of ‘bloodbunny’, but what caught me off guard were the visceral screams that showed up on ‘x w x’ and ‘dazies’ that catapult them to the next level. There’s an unabashed confidence to this album that makes it so infectious.
The writing shouldn’t be overlooked either. On the album, Yeule examines how we deal with information overload in the digital age, but what separates Softscars from other albums about social media is that there’s a willingness to go deeper and deconstruct the negative impacts that its had in the way we go about our real lives. The normalisation of toxic relationships shows up time and time again on this album on ‘sofscars’, ‘inferno’ and ‘bloodbunny’, but when we’re living in an age where all romantic loves feels increasingly clinical (as they describe on ‘software update’), sometimes you’ve just got to take what you can get.
It’s part of the reason why ‘cyber meat’ - with its euphoric, pop-punk influenced hook - is easily the best song here. It’s the moment where they finally find someone who allows them the space to heal, as well as accepting them for who they are. In spite of the turbulent age we are living through, there is still closure to be found, and I get the impression by the closer ‘aphex twin flame’ that Yeule managed to find it.
Despite being a deceptively demanding listen, softscars might be one the best electronic albums I’ve heard in a long time. Strident and punchy, but also remarkably emotionally evocative, I clearly have to catch up on Yeule’s discography ASAP. Continuing on this trajectory, Yeule has superstar potential without question, and I certainly want to be along for the ride.
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