Yard Act - 'Petroleum'
Synonymous with almost-spoken-word at-times-monotonous jabs at politics and current affairs, anti-gentrification Leeds outfit Yard Act have established themselves as THE go-to band if you dislike the tories, in just a handful of years.
Shyness doesn’t even come into the equation, but bold and brash rear their ugly heads in the most fantastic way possible throughout the band’s discography.
Re-emerging with the announcement of a new record (“Where’s My Utopia?”) following the smash-success of 2022’s debut, the mercury-nominated “The Overload”, Yard Act are championing a new era, fresher, more exciting, and even bolder.
With their newer releases, Yard Act are ditching their tried-and-tested formula of simple indie-punk for more melodic, developed cuts. “The Trench Coat Museum” boasts intricately layered instrumentation that burst forth into a cacophonous soundscape, where “Dream Job” has an undeniable dance-ability (a phrase which has never been used to describe their music).
Their latest offering, “Petroleum” still features their signature sultry monotonous vocals, this time backed by seering electric guitar and overtly insistent percussive beats. Funky and completely fun, the underlying narrative explores job expectations, and comes from their experience as a band, and what they perceive their fans as expecting from them as a live act (“My bones burn / And the brain that's controlling thеm / Knows that the soul needs petroleum”).
Continuing with the unique flair found within this new Yard Act Era, the track explodes in the penultimate minute before coming to a strong and sudden ending.
Yard Act have evolved from their plot of land to deliver their anti-government, anti-everything narrative to a globe of dedicated fans, and 2024 is set to be their most exciting year yet. They’re ace, top class, and they aren’t going anywhere.
Words by Lana Williams
