Yes We Mystic's brand of art-pop is a constant balancing act. Sonically adventurous, yet accessible, exuberant yet intimate. Occupying a kind of middle ground between Broken Social Scene and Walk the Moon, their second record features plenty of the band's artier tendencies, while reaching for a larger, richer sound. The band's embrace of indie pop maximalism makes for a dense but engaging record, one with enough highlights for those willing to dig in and hang on for the ride.
Tracks like "Felsenmeer" show a band eager to fill every corner of the room and beyond, but still retain the intimacy found on their debut, Forgiver. Reminiscent of Imagine Dragons covering the National's "Fake Empire," it's an emotional, piano-driven tune with an absolute eruption of a chorus. "Panthalassa" and "Vanitas Waltz" meanwhile show off the record's controlled largesse; they aren't afraid to pull out the strings, but their songwriting, for the most part, is tight enough to make these moments count.
Ten Seated Figures isn't just bigger sound-wise, it's bigger thematically than the band's debut as well. "It's about personal mythology, it's about self-fictionalization and the ways in which people can be shaped by things that are either misremembered, distorted in their retelling, or that never even happened," said singer/guitarist Adam Fuhr about the record.
It's a theme that applies somewhat to the record itself. It's not a total 180 from Forgiver, instead it shows the band embracing new parts of themselves, and redefining their own "personal mythology."
(DevilDuck)Tracks like "Felsenmeer" show a band eager to fill every corner of the room and beyond, but still retain the intimacy found on their debut, Forgiver. Reminiscent of Imagine Dragons covering the National's "Fake Empire," it's an emotional, piano-driven tune with an absolute eruption of a chorus. "Panthalassa" and "Vanitas Waltz" meanwhile show off the record's controlled largesse; they aren't afraid to pull out the strings, but their songwriting, for the most part, is tight enough to make these moments count.
Ten Seated Figures isn't just bigger sound-wise, it's bigger thematically than the band's debut as well. "It's about personal mythology, it's about self-fictionalization and the ways in which people can be shaped by things that are either misremembered, distorted in their retelling, or that never even happened," said singer/guitarist Adam Fuhr about the record.
It's a theme that applies somewhat to the record itself. It's not a total 180 from Forgiver, instead it shows the band embracing new parts of themselves, and redefining their own "personal mythology."