Yard Act – ‘The Trappers Pelts’

Satirically and musically brilliant. Yard Act have nailed their debut single.

‘The Trappers Pelts’ is the debut single from Leeds Yard Act. Released on their own label Zen F.C. and produced by Billy Ryder Jones, Yard Act have already defined their own take on post-punk/minimalist music.

First thoughts are, like a lot of post-punk bands today, is here is a bit of influence from The Fall. However, it’s more akin to ‘Hit the North’ and the last few albums they released rather than the weirder early stuff. But ‘The Trappers Pelt’ has a lot more to offer. The minimalist electronic sound has a hint of Madchester, with Sleaford Mods without the barking vocals, favouring an almost cynical Yorkshire drawl. There’s also a bit of Do Nothing, but even that could be considered a stretch. Ultimately, you can’t immediately liken Yard Act to any other band in particular. It’s so fresh and original.

The lyrics stand out wonderfully from the musical backdrop. They are intelligent and almost poetic, and the genius lies in the attempt to make a “satirical take on neoliberalism”, blending “the American frontier into a Scarface-type narrative set against a […] West Yorkshire suburb”. ‘The Trappers Pelts’ is a truly inspired track that is bound to catch people’s ear. 

Words by Matthew Brocklehurst

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