Graves
Yes Yes Okay Okay (CD)
 In listening to this record I have found that you can draw two conclusions. 1. They listened to enough Pavement and Sonic Youth to satisfy a 3rd world country and 2. They don’t give a shit. A record laden with brushes, acoustic guitars, flat harmonies, pianos, trumpets, and let’s not forget the distorted keyboard solos, all the efficient formulas for a good indie-pop record.
Although, at times ‘Graves’ seems to be channeling the apocalyptic ghosts of Neil Young and J. Mascis, Yes Yes Okay Okay still makes for a record verging on semi brilliance. Although I am paying homage to this band I must confess that they fell prey to the all too common fate of most indie bands of the new millenium, and that is: inconsistency.
It seems as if these songs lack the pop consciousness that is needed to make this record brilliant. On the one hand they have the simplistic pop anthem “headphone brigade” which reeks of that resonant victory we had over the world when we were young and stupid still listening to cassette tapes like we owned everything. Then on the other half of the record they deny any conscious effort to make any sense with the mediocre samba-esque number “strength in numbers.”
Despite my apprehension to give this record a perfect score or a near perfect score on the “indiehipsterthermometer” this record is definitely worth yours and anyone else’s undivided attention for at least the first 5 songs.
Again, they may be using the same tired formula that everyone and their incestuous families may be using but the reason they pull it off so efficiently is because they simply don’t give a shit, and neither do I.
- review by EAZY (1.22.05)
Hush Records
PO Box 12713
Portland, OR 97212
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