Yuck

On their debut, Yuck mined early '90s distortion-drenched pop, specifically early Teenage Fanclub, with fantastic results. Glow & Behold, their sophomore album, finds the London, UK group amping up the fidelity while dialling back the noise. Its languid pacing will try the patience of fans — things don't really kick into high gear until fifth track "Middle Sea" and that only lasts for a few numbers. There's no doubt that the departure of singer/guitarist Daniel Blumberg influenced this shift, but his absence hasn't hollowed out the band. On the contrary, a deeper look (and repeated listens) reveals Glow & Behold to be a carefully crafted and sequenced record. Where previously they smeared fuzz across Yuck's entire run time, here noise and distortion are deployed strategically, creating a more dynamic sound, punctuated with some tasteful horn runs. Now that they're allowed to come up for air from beneath the distortion, remaining members Max Bloom, Mariko Doi and Jonny Rogoff prove they are more than capable songwriters. Inevitably, their more mature sound somewhat mirrors latter-day Fannies. But they show a knack for penning slow-burning classic rock anthems reminiscent of Ash's less adrenaline-fuelled moments. While continuing to work in the box they've created for themselves, Yuck come across as far more amorphous than many first thought while still making an album that delivers on the promise of their shambolic debut.