Better known as one half of indie group Herman Dune, beardy weirdy Black Yaya (David Ivar) has now gone and dropped a disarming solo effort – and by god it's fun. Part bedroom confessional, part stream of consciousness psycho-pop, Ivar has grabbed a bunch of inspirations from Kubrick to Poe and splattered them on this record with glee.
Recorded purely by himself, the album's tone drifts from the kind of sexy electro that the French do best (highlight 'Glad Tidings') to the western themed Doo-Wop of 'Vigilante'. You can almost see Ivar looking around his home, picking up well-worn books, films and photographs to get the juices flowing. It's an eclectic mess that, when performed with such a light touch, just gels.
Leading single 'Flying A Rocket' with its stabbing synths and jaunty rhythm makes the perfect accompaniment to the oncoming spring while 'Under Your Skin' is simply dumb pop perfected. We'd wager that there won't be a more infectious track of 2015. The release's only bum note is 'Through The Deep Night', an almost hymn-like number that, while not terrible, takes itself too seriously when put in context with the other tracks.
The summer will no doubt see a slew of similar upbeat, indie releases to try and tempt you but it's doubtful they'll be as fun, silly and unpretentious as this one. Let Black Yaya take you into his world of tomatoes, guns and space travel.
7/10
Words: Sam Walker-Smart
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Related: Culture Clash – Black Yaya
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