Drawing from the likes of grunge, pop and indie rock, Dude York shine through on their latest release Sincerely. Following their signing to Sub-Pop offshoot Hardly Art, the Seattle three-piece have been storming the indie scene with their grunge-pop melodies and bright vocals. Sincerely sees the band flourish and embrace their sound to create a brilliant and touching sophomore LP dealing with love, fear and mental health.
Without feeling sorry for itself, the record shifts the discussion of these topics in a healthier direction, giving the record an almost cathartic feel.
From the offset, opening track ‘Black Jack’ is an overdriven pop song, with glam pop guitar and anthemic vocals which ushers the record into new territory relative to the aggro-pop of debut LP Dehumanize. It is apparent throughout the record that Dude York have become comfortable and focused on what they are trying to achieve. Tracks such as ‘Life worth Living pt II’ and ‘Giving Up’ are perfect indie-pop songs, catchy melodies breaking through distorted guitar. Dude York are able to take the best from noughties pop and make it their own.
‘Love Is’ stands out as the epitome of the angry kind of pop that Dude York and other emerging DIY bands strive to achieve, subverting the pristine idea of what pop can be. The record has its quiet moments, with the short and sweet ‘Sincerely i’ and ‘Sincerely ii’, as well as the acoustic ‘Time’s Not on My Side’.
Despite the shift in sound of the record, the influence of grunge and punk is still alive on tracks such as the driving ‘Paralysed’, shoegazey ‘Twin Moons’ and the aptly named ‘Something in the Way’, nods toward the Nirvana record of the same title. To this end, the record holds onto its DIY roots.
Sincerely is at heart a punk record with pop melodies and wildly catchy vocals. Dude York push the boundaries of conventional pop and carry it out perfectly.
