Yruama - Cravings (review)
Homesickness materializes into a maximalist artwork shaped by jangle-pop sweetness and shoegazing madness.
Score: 10/10
After drumming for what seems like half of the Rio Grande Valley indie bands, Yruama has been gaining momentum for his own project. There’s his debut EP from last year, his feature in NetaRGV and, more recently, his performance at the MXLAN festival. The time has come for all the legwork and support to condense into a fully realized and noteworthy project, and in Cravings, Yruama has pulled out all the stops.
The EP uses twee-pop innocence, the omnipresent strumming of jangle-pop, and sentimental shoegaze in a cohesive patchwork that never feels too clustered. The role of the affluent studio trickery and electronics throughout the album could have easily been reduced to ornaments, but instead, they are used to emphasize the overarching theme: homesickness.
On Mexican Modern Art we hear the bar set high for dynamic song structure, romanticized memories, and extravagantly layered indie-pop vocals. The song is set in an art class where Yruama must excuse himself after being reminded of his mother and Mexican hometown. “Mexican modern art makes a knot in my throat, I walked out of the class with all the memories in my mind,” he sings in a voice that almost gets choked up.
The next song, Vamanos pa’ Mexico, the pace is increased and the song cuts to the chase with a barebones sound that acts as a red herring before the song is bolstered with dramatic pauses, heavy shoegaze solos, and background synths that bring pleasant surprises. The music elevates the relatively simple and short lyrics, making the mentions of the Mexican sun and wind much more vivid.
The last two tracks, Buenos Dias and Buenas Noches, run together and are bridged by a quiet and reflective transitional section. The opening is short and basic with rapid drums and sunny chords. “Ya vendran cosas peores, diria mi madre y corazon ya no llores,” he sings in what is the most aching part of an album that’s full of tender moments.
The night-time counterpart leaves a truly lasting impression. Much in the style of The War On Drugs, the song has an extended introduction and ending. It’s packed with heartland rock guitars that create a sense of journey, and shoegazing sections that turn to stargazing.
For an album about daydreaming and reminiscing, there are surprisingly no distractions here. Every chord, lyric, and effect are done in service of the central idea. It’s the most focused and fleshed out project to come out of the RGV in years, blowing past technical, sonic, and artistic limits that only someone in reverie can hurdle over.
Purchase and listen to Cravings here
Raymus Media - Rio Grande Valley alternative music site