ALBUM REVIEW: Yugen – Black Orchid Empire
In a musical age so heavily saturated with an increasing technological (and thus, technical) influence, the bare-bones of classic genres are often masked to the point of being unrecognisable. Almost considered a ‘retro’ sound by some, rock is certainly a style that falls under this umbrella, the grass-roots of which frequently feel like a distant memory in 2018. Fortunately, as is the case with any genre, there exist a number of saviours who see a necessity in taking a more conservative, reductionist approach to rock music. Today’s focus comes in the form of London-based BLACK ORCHID EMPIRE. A sophomore full-length attempt, this act will unhand Yugen on Friday 25th May, another attempt at breaking into the the prevailing scene, and edging ever closer to the limelight.
A fitting homage to the notion of this band’s stripped back, rock approach, opening track My Favourite Stranger does everything it should do. Immediately ringing out is a simplistic but gain-heavy and impacting lead riff accompanied by sauntering drum and bass grooves, setting the tone for a schematic but entertaining journey. The barrage of instrumentation is rounded off with the excellently delivered vocals, soaring atop the mix and providing a significant proportion of the overall character. Frontman and guitarist Paul Visser plays this role flawlessly; his approach is modest in terms of sonic radius, not straying too far out of the necessary range, and thusly complimenting the instrumentation. Broadly speaking, Visser has amassed a long series of thoroughly pleasant hooks, each more contagious than the last, and a slight inflection of his English accent frequently cuts through in the vocals to provide a surprisingly effective sense of added charm.
By-and-large, this strikingly reductionist rock trope very much persists. Certain other approaches creep in from time to time – for example the reserved, slow, and emotive section acting as an intro to Celebrity Summer, and a short segment in Burn showcasing evident of various progressive and atmospheric influences – however they are little more than added flavours, and do little to affect the broader landscape of the record. By all accounts, what really cements this rock effect is the vocals and the basic but memorable riffing. However, what is often striking, is how groovy the riffing actually is at times. Being an organisation frequently dealing with tech and prog, we often found ourselves taken aback by how djent-esque some of the guitar work is, serving to add a strangely bouncy and jovial tone on multiple occasions. In an album packed with modest instrumentation, this and the addition of a few short solos certainly doesn’t hurt the band’s cause.
Striking also, from a certain perspective, is Yugen‘s abundance of vocal-absent passages, in the midst of a sonic approach that is certainly not technical, and oozes modesty and class. This, perhaps more than anything else, helps to stress the stripped-back rock approach at play. Often, the instrumentation will draw out for elongated sections, maintaining a simple but delicate soundscape, drawing the listener in and providing a gentle, easy listening experience. This being said, when the vocals are present, they are certainly striking, and this can of course be attributed to the modest instrumental tropes. Seventh track Vertigo acts as possibly the most apt example of this, the instrumental side boasting little more than mellow, subdued acoustic guitar, allowing the buttery smooth vocal tones to permeate the atmosphere and preside once again as the dominating factor. It must be noted that the simplicity, whilst tasteful, can convey as somewhat underwhelming at times, however this largely comes down to taste.
On multiple occasions during this review we’ve contrived to mention Yugen‘s prevailing sense of instrumental modesty and vocal prominence; to be clear, this is not a bad thing at all. Quite the opposite. As we touched on at the beginning, this traditional rock approach is simply not something that is embraced enough in the modern day, and the willingness to create and entire album based on memorable hooks and easy-going soundscapes, is a bold move. What’s more, is that the complete product conveys the overwhelming impression of something that could feasibly appeal to a vast demographic, and could therefore prove to be a highly successful approach. Almost liquid in texture, some of the vocal hooks at play on Yugen certainly wouldn’t sound out of place being performed at a big open-air festival, in a stadium venue, or on national radio, and that simply must be a positive feat in any instance.
With just their second attempt, Londoners BLACK ORCHID EMPIRE are exponentially proving themselves to be a significantly promising, up-and-coming outfit, and with the right steps taken, could plausible reach the sky in terms of potential. A fresh, home-grown act, one can only hope that this band thrive under the release of Yugen, and proceed to take the scene by storm in years to come.
Rating: 8/10
Yugen is out now via Long Branch Records.
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