By Alex McFerren
Tune-Yards have released their first new studio album in four years, and it’s a good one. It’s the perfect soundtrack to the upcoming summer, with techno beats and angelic vocals to walk, run or even swim along to.
An angelic harmony starts off ‘Heartbreak’, the first track on Tune-Yards’ new album, before bursting into a groovy and smooth techno beat. A great way to kick off Better Dreaming.
The harmonies are satisfying to the ear, the beat is relaxing… it sounds like the perfect feel-good tune. ‘Swarm’ starts off more on the downbeat, not as uplifting but still just as catchy as the first track. The grooves are hypnotic, triggering your feet to move as you listen. The vocal power of Merrill Garbus is exceptional. In fact, her voice resonates straight through to ‘Never Look Back’, where she takes a high octave approach. It works perfectly. It’s a soothing sound that emanates from her voice, along with the bass being laid down by Nate Brenner, it makes for a great listen. ‘Suspended’ starts with some daydream sounding piano, followed shortly by a much more laid-back vocal from Garbus. Smooth. You could easily walk through the park on a scorching day with this playing in your ears and your mind would be at ease.
‘Limelight’ opens with some slick bass from Brenner, it sounds straight out of a late 70’s disco. It’s funky. It’s groovy. It’s great. “Baby’s alright, shining so bright / Put em in the limelight” – a simple chorus but catchy as you like. The beat starts heavy on ‘Get Through’, the beat is slower than the tracks before. It’s taking a slowed down approach, but it still sounds great. The vocals are blissful to listen to, the harmonies almost lifting you from your seat. Next up, the title track starts even more downbeat: the slow repeating bassline, the dreamy vocals. It’s a breath of fresh air after the speedier tracks. Then about halfway through it becomes its own beast. The backing vocals and instruments all begin to wail, it’s all very different.
‘How Big Is The Rainbow’ returns the album to its quick-paced upbeat direction. The chorus reminds me of a modern summer dance hit, albeit with more character to it and a slight sound of 90’s techno beat. Cruising along the Miami coast with this playing out the car speakers, a good film scene. ‘See You There’ is the odd one out so far – the beat is slow but the vocals are screaming out, it doesn’t sound too different from a Pentatonix cover. ‘Perpetual Motion’ wastes no time getting into the groove, the bass catching your ears straight away. The vocals are also very soulful on this track, a nice touch. The second half of the track changes completely, the instruments and the vocals just going whichever way they want to, and yet it still makes for a good sound. ‘Sanctuary’ is an interesting storytelling song. It sounds like a human discovering themselves with the backing beat sounding like it’s from the far future. Very Sci-Fi techno indeed. The outro is very soulful, the vocals harmonising in perfect unison, the beat not letting up. A lovely ending to a solid album.
This might be Tune-Yards’ most creative and innovative work to date. The vocals are great to listen to throughout the album, the beats and the basslines all catchy. The effort produced here by Garbus and Brenner is nothing short of brilliant. Better Dreaming is an uplifting techno beat album that is bound to impress new listeners and old ones.
Better Dreaming can be purchased directly from the Tune-Yards official website, https://tune-yards.com/.
