Glow & Behold

Before Yuck began working on their second album, Daniel Blumberg, one of their two guitarist/songwriter/vocalists, quit the band. Bands are always losing members and soldiering on, and Yuck decided to carry on too. Their early singles and debut album were thrilling and sometimes weird retro-shoegaze pop; a whirling blend of noise and stillness, melody and energy, that was built around really strong songs and surprising levels of emotion. On their first Blumberg-less album, Glow & Behold, the remaining trio focuses on the pretty and melodic side of the equation. At their best, like on the super-hooky "Middle Ages" or the chummy-sounding "Lose My Breath," the band comes off like a lightweight variation of Velocity Girl's upbeat shoegaze, which isn't a bad thing at all. ~ Tim Sendra