A Yawn Worth Yelling – Play Pretend Review
Review by: Isaac Biehl
Rating: 9/10
Based in San Jose, A Yawn Worth Yelling’s latest independently released EP, Play Pretend, is an upbeat
and shiny collection of indie-pop rock that is sure to get you going. A four man band consisting of the
vocals of Brayden Deskins and Tyler Boyd, the drumming of Taylor Stover, and that sweet bass of
Johannes Stein. The five-track EP will leave you wanting more from these fellas.
If you have to choose to start somewhere, might as well start with the first track “Start Somewhere.”
The vocals on the track are easy to listen to, and the instrumentation is very danceable. The band even
uses a ukulele on this one that is unavoidable and really sucks you in. Boyd uses a higher pitch at points
throughout the song that is essentially the cherry on top, really bringing it all together.
While there are no low points on this EP, one of the other standout tracks is “Empty Space” coming at
number three. “You can write it off, as a symptom of my youth” is how “Empty Space” opens, and this
shows the way the band is recognizing their young age. You catch multiple references throughout this EP
that will show their modern youth, but their music comes off at a much more mature level as artists. The
play between the differences in Stover and Boyd’s voices creates a nice balance not only on this track,
but throughout the EP. On “Missing Ember” you hear “I saw the Millennium Falcon” being repeated,
which is another awesome reference from these guys. Listening closely you can really pick up on the
songwriting talent they possess, which adds a whole other dynamic to the well-produced sound.
With a Twitter bio that reads “We’re putting the angst back in gangsta,” this only furthermore proves
that these guys have style. Play Pretend leaves you with a very nice taste, but makes you hungry for a
full album. They may be young, but A Yawn Worth Yelling has the makings to become a powerhouse
indie band. Only time will tell.
FCC: Clean
RIYL Hellogoodbye, Said The Whale, The Maine
Favorite Tracks: 3 (Empty Space), 1 (Start Somewhere), 4 (Missing Ember)
