The sun is finally out on the west coast. The beaches are packed again, and for the first time this summer I drove all the way home from work with my car windows down and Yoncalla, the debut LP from Yumi Zouma, was on the stereo. One of the best decisions I could make on a Monday.
From New Zealand, this dream pop band is back, this time with a full length album. Yumi Zouma already has worldwide recognition and has shared the stage with names like Lorde and Chet Faker. Musicians whose music go well with Yumi Zouma’s style.
Just to give you a hint of exactly how well liked the band is: Yumi Zouma sold‐out pressings of their first EP twice‐over before its release or ever having played live.
Yumi Zouma and Their Ultimate Dream Pop
Yoncalla is here to drift you away from your daily dose of stress.
One of my favorites from the album, “Text from Sweden” is a conversation between two people discussing taking a chance at love. This upbeat dreamy tune will lift your spirits and can be the beginning of a great playlist.
“Drachma,” the last song on this album, is just as beautiful a tune as the others. There is a reason this band is gaining momentum quickly: their sound is similar to other dreamy vocalists; their mixture of ‘80s influence gives every track a beat to sway or move too. This album will keep your head swaying but won’t get you as ready to dance as original ‘80s pop can.
Yumi Zouma’s waves of musical harmony have been redefined and the creative process laid bare to expose an act more unguarded and interconnected than ever before. Yumi Zouma faced constant challenges with the distance of their members, but once brought all together, and after a week of mixing at Philippe Zdar’s Motorbass studio, the self-recorded and -produced Yoncalla was made.
Guitarist Charlie Ryder said that this was the first album they weren’t limited by distance. The band was able to organically bounce ideas off each other.
That intimacy is apparent on Yoncalla — an album about being close to people, rather than miles apart.
