Yours Conditionally feels like a grand culmination of the Denver-based band's catalog. Over the last few years, Patrick Riley and Alaina Moore have managed to put together an extensive and diverse catalog of easy going pop songs that spoke to an often overlooked generation through upbeat, rhythm-heavy pop ballads that rarely grow tired. Backed by the one and only Jim Eno (Spoon, Future Islands, Telekinesis, and much, much more.) as producer, the band was able to let their wings spread and create something unique, fresh and memorable.
"At my request, we rented a cabin in Fraser, CO. Proper studios always feel a bit like a man-cave to me. I wanted to work in a more neutral space. We brought our own gear and gave ourselves two weeks to work. Our experience working with producers in the past gave us the confidence and understanding we needed to take the project on ourselves."- says Riley (describing the studio setting)
I'll be honest, it took me a few listens to really grasp the album, but after the third or fourth listen of, "In the Morning I'll Be Better," the album's first track -- I was hooked. It gave me that warm fuzzy feeling, like when you first get a tattoo and all you can think about is getting more tattoos, and then soon enough you're running out of space on your arm, so you decide to get a triangle tattooed on it. Which triangle? Isosceles, obviously. But, you see that short spiral I just went down? Yours Conditionally made me do that from start to finish, over and over again. Every time I listened, I found myself discovering something new. Something that made me feel a different way after each listen. There was something that kept pulling me back in some sort of Godfather style. I couldn't stop listening to it for a week or so.
After the albums first track comes "My Emotions are Blinding," an emotional (no pun intended) track that's full of Moore's elegant, yet youthful vocals backed by Riley's cascading guitar licks that feel like they go on forever, and ever. The consistent drumming matches perfectly with its rhythmic brother on bass. It's catchy. It's harmonious and tells a story that feels like the band is putting on you to decide what it means.
"Baby Don't Believe," is a brooding track full of lo-fi channeling choruses and, wreaks of some sort of '70s Laurel Canyon influence that I can't quite put my finger on. Give the album a few spins and see what sticks.
Overall, this album is a confident and refreshing take on a band that is full of so much potential. Watching this band grow, develop and evolve has been an absolute pleasure, and as always, I can't wait to see what's next.
Plus, The band just released a commercial for the album starring Zosia Mamet ("Girls"), you can watch/share the video here.
-Tobias Krause
