Yonaka have become a staple on the live circuit over the years, playing everywhere from Camden Rocks and Neverworld, to supporting Bring Me The Horizon and heading out on their own headline tours of grassroots venues. Now, the band are ready to come into their own with their debut full-length release ‘Don’t Wait ‘Til Tomorrow’.
There are clear stand-outs, such as ‘Lose Our Heads’ which sees the band utilising a more synth-heavy approach to their advantage, and ‘Fired Up’ which showcases the pure energy this band can translate into sound. Unfortunately, there are also some misses. ‘Guilty (For Your Love)’ is an early offender – though it contains their trademark bombast, the chorus leaves a lot to be desired. Towards the tail-end of the album things begin to get tedious on both ‘Wake Up’ and ‘The Cure’, neither of which utilise their strengths as they appear overwhelmed by their sound. Theresa Jarvis’s vocal performance saves these tracks from being entirely forgettable, with a vehement delivery all the way through the record.
When Yonaka hit their stride on this album, they sound really, really good – arena ready, even. With an incendiary collection of tracks behind them forged through single releases and EPs, they can afford to miss the mark a few times on their album and only carry the very best forward – and when this band get it right they don’t just light a fire, they set the whole house ablaze.
ELOISE BULMER