James Murphy’s latest signing have already released three albums, so
unlike their labelmates, they don’t sound all that much like LCD
Soundsystem. They’re also more percussion-driven and groove-minded than
many of their DFA peers. Still, Yacht toil in the same
too-cool-for-art-school scene and load their songs with tons of bells
and whistles (literally). When they snag a melody and ride it —
like on the opening “Ring the Bell” and the wheezy “I’m in Love With a
Ripper” — they turn See Mystery Lights into a
booty-shakin’ party with brains. And “Summer Song” is about as close to
a seasonal anthem as pasty hipsters will ever get. But the boy-girl duo
sound so detached from their music at times, it’s hard to find a pulse.
And a mere summer song won’t warm them up. — Michael
Gallucci
This article appears in Jul 29 – Aug 4, 2009.
