YIP DECEIVER - MEDALLIUS

Yip Deceiver...  I have no idea what the name means.  I'm not sure I even have a guess.  They were the opening band on Electric Six's last tour.  I met one of the members prior to the show and I decided to pick up the disc and give it a go before I even heard them play.  Some of the last bands Electric Six has toured with have been very exciting and interesting.  They haven't steered me wrong yet so I took a chance.

The first group played and they had a huge turn out.  I guess they were a local band, but a lot of people showed up just for them.  I didn't watch the show, but I could hear them and although they weren't awful, I didn't hear anything setting them apart from anyone.  After they played, I was a little concerned for the next group.

Imagine my surprise when two guys took the stage.  Just two guys.  They then proceeded to blow us away with an interesting blend of techno pop and dueling vocals.  Now I've had this experience before.  I've seen bands live I thought were terrible and when I purchased their albums, I loved it.  I've also seen bands I thought were incredible live only to hate their released material.  After listening to Yip Deceiver for a day, I can honestly say, I enjoy both very much.

The music is much more nuanced when you hear it on the disc.  I'd be hard pressed to say what sets this band apart from other groups.  The music they record is reminiscent of 80's New Wave and Electro Pop.  It's highly synth driven.  They mix some live elements in, including guitar and percussion; otherwise, it's very much in the vein of an 80's Synth Band.

And let me be the first to say, there's nothing wrong with that and we need much more of it in the world.

The first track is 'Presets' and of the tracks on this disc, this one seems to be the earliest written and recorded.  The music becomes progressively tighter and more aligned as the songs play.  Which is interesting because you can see the production value on each track improve greatly.  The second number is 'Get Strict'.  This song reminds me of the way bands like Information Society and Cause & Effect would write music.  'Lover' clocks in at #3 and continues the vocal sparring between the band members.  It's an enjoyable number and there are some interesting sound effects throughout the song.

'World Class Pleasure' kicks in with a strong Prince influence.  The drum sounds are deeper, heavier and the synth lines are similar to those used in Minneapolis sound.  There's some rhythm guitar playing there too and the groove is undeniable.  As much as I've enjoyed the disc, this song totally ramped up my interest in what the band is doing.  It's more satisfying and produced.

'Go On' introduces new elements as well.  Horns lines throughout along with some electric guitar strumming.  'Color Me In' features some juxtaposing keyboard lines overlapping each other.  It's oddly disjointed but it works.  As simple as it is, it's one of the best numbers on the disc.  I'm absolutely digging this track.  'Obnoxia' brings back some happy keyboard playing and reminds me of Owl City.  I love songs with happy music even if the subject matter is more on the darker side.

'2nd Son Of A 2nd Son' features a more complicated beat than usual for the group.  It's got some of the best lyrics by them and it's truly pleasurable to hear.  'Theme' is more of a segue between songs, but it's an interesting listen.  It's followed by 'Tops Part ll'.  This track is also good and it has a beat similar to something you'd hear in 90's R&B.  In fact, it sorta reminds me of Dave Gamson's production work with Scritti Politti.  The vocal arrangement borders on something Prince would've done in the mid 80's.

The album ends on an absolute strong note.  'Double Future' could easily be the best track on the album.  It has an unrelenting groove and seems to be a fully realized vision of the collaboration between these two artists.

I'm excited about this disc.  I love discovering new groups and enjoying what they're doing.  I'm not interested in standard fare pop, but I do love the sound of it.  Therefore, I embrace bands that can take a modern sound and do something different and interesting.  Yip Deceiver accomplish this in Spades and I'm looking forward to hearing more.

My final words:  EXCITING, UNEXPECTED, THRILLING AND UTTERLY WELCOME!

YIP DECEIVER - MEDALLIUS

01. Presets

02. Get Strict

03. Lover

04. World Class Pleasure

05. Go On

06. Obnoxia

07. 2nd Son Of A 2nd Son

08. Theme

09. Tops Part II

10. Double Future