Somewhat telling for four young guys straight outta Brisvegas, Yves Klein Blue certainly have a rowdy fun vibe about them. Already showing promise with a relentless East Coast and overseas touring schedule, and the release of a solid debut EP last year, Ragged & Ecstatic is YKB’s shot at the big time. They’ve gone in guns blazing.
Recruiting Kevin Augunas of Cold War Kids fame to produce their first record, the boys have ramped up their songwriting to match the new aesthetic, showcasing Michael Tomlinson’s expressive and often rambling vocal talents. He’s often been labelled as an Australian ‘beat poet’; with every phrase, word and melody meticulously worked out and then dragged back through the gutter before ending up on tape. He’s undoubtedly one of the freshest voices the Australian rock scene has heard since Craig Nicholls started screaming like a banshee.
Luckily, Tomlinson’s got a band behind him who seem to be equally as fearless as he is. Ragged & Ecstatic veers wildly in all sorts of directions, from the stomping scuzz-rock of Dinosaur through to the pretty little folk numbers like Make Up Your Mind and About The Future. What’s really telling are the upbeat numbers, Soldier and Getting Wise, in which band and singer seem so self-assured and confident that it’s hard to believe only recently left high school. Each song is a collage of seemingly disparate styles, held together by inventive phrasing and some skilled transitions. But most vitally, Yves Klein Blue are coming of age with a sound that’s really all their own, and that’s something remarkably exciting.
You should see them at Splendour, because I’ve got money on them returning in a few years as headliners. But if you can’t make it to Byron, the energy of this record should tide you over until Yves Klein Blue next hits your town.
Ragged & Ecstatic is out now on Dew Process/UMA. Yves Klein Blue are currently taking the album around the country, culminating in a slot at Splendour.
Friday July 3 – Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle
Saturday July 4 – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney (All Ages afternoon show)
Saturday July 4 – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney
Wednesday July 8 – Karova Lounge, Ballarat
Thursday July 9 – National Hotel, Geelong
Friday July 10 – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne
Saturday July 11 – Jive Bar, Adelaide
Friday July 17 – Norfolk Basement, Fremantle
Saturday July 18 – Amplifier Bar, Perth
Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 July – Splendour In The Grass, Belongil Fields
taken from: http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/reviews/music/19197/Yves-Klein-Blue--Ragged-and-Ecstatic.htm
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