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Kinky Yukky Yuppy

Escape

Written by: PP on 19/05/2011 06:33:34

I have no idea why anyone would ever call their band Kinky Yukky Yuppy. It's a stupid name, but not in the silly and memorable way rather than in the instantly forgot what these guys were called kind of way. Perhaps this French outfit isn't interested in fame and publicity (required for growing your fan base), in which case it's fair enough, but somehow I doubt that when listening to their debut album "Escape". It's a radio rock album aimed for the alterna-rock eating masses, a rather good one at it as well, but lets not kid ourselves: with a name like Kinky Yukky Yuppy, you're never going to make it. No matter how good your album is.

All that is a bit of a shame because even though the band isn't a critic's dream in terms of artistic integrity, their brand of alternative rock has soul and good melodies attached to it. It sounds a little like Biffy Clyro, but with more of a mainstream rock feel to it. In a good way. In practice, it translates to soaring guitars, introverted chorus melodies, and stuff like that. They would be a perfect match for the Danish national radio station DR P3, who advertise themselves as a rock station but play 25 songs of Coldplay and 20 songs of Jack Johnson for every Maiden track or a Foo Fighters cut. They have a mellow enough sound to appeal to the more indie-oriented rock scene of Denmark, but still ambitious enough to fill larger venues. Think Hoobastank's "The Reason" except with a far more convincing and enjoyable sound.

Though "Escape" starts off with predictable pop/mainstream rock, it slowly develops into more progressive territory halfway through, bringing in experimental elements akin to Incubus, where the vocalist tries different styles (even screaming at one point) and the instrumental base becomes more advanced and challenging for the listener. Whether that's there to add conviction to the band or because they are pursuing their own musical interests is hard to say, but one thing is for sure: their simplistic alternative rock pieces are good enough to stand on their own, and the band should consider capitalizing on the potential humongous amount of listeners present in that style. That is, if they ever switch to a name that's less retarded.

Download: Ugly, Slow Falling, H.o.t.s
For the fans of: Biffy Clyro, Hoobastank's "The Reason", Incubus
Listen: Myspace

Release date 11.10.2010
M&O Music