YONAKA // ''CREATURE'' - EP REVIEW
BRIGHTON’S YONAKA RELEASES HARD-HITTING NEW EP CREATURE
YONAKA - ‘‘CREATURE’’
★★★★★
Brighton quartet Yonaka have carved up a reputation as one of Britain’s hottest upcoming bands this year - currently on tour with hardcore heavyweights Bring Me The Horizon, the band have been a heavy presence on this summer’s touring and festival circuit, capping it off with a sold out show at London’s Electric Ballroom last month. We’ve also been spoiled with lots of new music in 2018 from the Yonaka camp - a brilliantly incendiary single in F.T.W.B, and the similarly well-received Teach Me To Fight EP.
Their latest EP Creature continues on in the same vein as Teach Me To Fight, ambling confidently between indie rock, alternative aggro-punk and modern hip-hop grooves with a substantial dose of aggressive electronics to glue everything together. In context with its companion release the progression from their more angular early material is very apparent, and it should be noted how much their standard of songwriting has improved over a comparatively minute amount of time.
All four tracks (including an impressive interpretation of The Cranberries’ She’s Not There) don’t make an attempt to hide the band’s ambition, nor their explosivity. Lead track Own Worst Enemy sees vocalist Theresa Jarvis deliver one of her more angsty choruses to date alongside a distinctively industrial flavoured instrumental, before breaking into an increasingly stark and strained buildup (I go to bed and then lie awake up screaming//Why ain't I sleeping oh why ain't I dreaming?). Title track Creature and Death By Love are more on the lighter side of proceedings with a more laid-back production, yet in typical Yonaka fashion are still pretty damn hard-hitting. They are not the radio-friendly ear worms that Fired Up managed to conjure up, but definitely more oriented to hook onto the casual festival crowd.
The straight-up energy and creativity behind Creature more than justifies why Yonaka are so highly regarded right now. With a full length album rumoured for a 2019 release, look for this talented and versatile act to truly break out next year.
Yonaka - Creature is out now on Asylum Records. Stream the EP below: