Local Capsule Reviews: Yellow Fever and Wiretree

Yellow Fever - Yellow Fever

For a band that’s only been active for a couple of years, Yellow Fever have already changed their name, lost, then added, then lost again a handful of members, and played their catchy and intriguingly minimal songs at venues all over the country. There’s been no new material forthcoming from Yellow Fever for a while, and fans of the band may be disappointed to learn their first full-length record (to be released on the Vivian Girls’ fledgling Wild World imprint next month) compiles most of the band’s discography to-date with nary a new song to be found. It’s a wise move for the group however, as the two EPs and one 7” that are featured here make for an excellent introduction to front gal Jennifer Moore’s Latetia Sadier-esque alto, her economical and well-placed guitar parts, and the peculiar and absolutely charming sense of humor in her songwriting. This is one of those relatively rare records that is more than the sum of its parts; the instrumentation and lyrics are employed economically—what’s not included is just as evocative as what is—and Moore makes the everyday fascinating even while employing few words. While we’re anxious to see what’s next for them, Yellow Fever is an excellent review of Yellow Fever’s first few years, and is a record that will give those who missed out on the original releases the opportunity to get familiar with a uniquely fun set of songs.

Yellow Fever [MySpace] [Last.fm]

Wiretree - Luck

Wiretree’s Kevin Peroni must be a serious student of the mainstream pop tradition. On Luck, his band’s second album, he delivers 10 by-the numbers, three-minute guitar pop songs that prove his mastery of the homogeneous chord progressions and innocuous themes that have dominated the genre for years. Luck rolls by in an unassuming manner that Rob Gordon would surely appreciate, exposing the root problem with it in the process: there’s very little among Luck’s clichés and pop platitudes to differentiate Wiretree from any of the dozens of other bands working in the genre. In addition to the middle-of-the-road songwriting, the record is perfectly produced—too perfectly—which only contributes to its anonymity. You’ll likely hear traces of The Beatles, Elliott Smith, and in probably the most interesting moment on the record, “Satellite Song,” a healthy dose of The Shins. Ho hum. In sum, Luck is a reasonable good example of a particular brand of generic pop music. Unfortunately, that brand has long since relinquished any equity it once had banked; if a band chooses to work within its understandably limited confines, it will take much more than a predictable, same-y collection of songs with a pristine pop sheen to make a lasting impression.

Wiretree [Official] [MySpace]