The Uncarved Block

"Ellipsis" EP Review

 

There is an "Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster" sized hole in my life, and Yur Mum is beginning to help fill that void (and that wasn't a cheap joke!). Massive, grinding, deep bass guitar (played by Anelise Kunz), powerful guitar riffs (courtesy of Akos Gado), and drums (by Fabio Couto) that sound like they are going to punch right out through your headphones, combine to give a heavy, energetic platform for Anelise (who also takes the vocal duties) to scream and howl her way through some beautifully dirty rock and roll tracks!

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Released on the 6th of December 2019 and recorded with producer Dan Lucas of Anchor Baby Studios UK, the band says:

"His work is absolutely brilliant and he made us sound like we expected to in our heads, but even better."

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The first single from this EP was "Sweatshop" that was released in 2019 (with a fantastic video to accompany it - see below) and from the moment that low-down, growling bass droned into my ears I was hooked! Fast and furious, with relentless drumming and guitar power-chords, this is (almost) 2 and a half minutes of raw punk and rock fusion, that has attracted the band some favourable attention (such as from Tom Robinson of BBC Six Music).

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"What Do You Want?" opens the EP with a darker tone, tackling the subject of anxiety in the modern world (see the video, below). Anelise's vocals are drenched with passion whilst the layers of bass, guitar and drums give some great dynamics to this tune.

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The title track "Ellipsis" tackles the culture of fear that we currently live in, with the bombardment of news and media always aiming to ramp up the drama to force a reaction from the viewers. It is a slightly slower and heavier track, that mirrors the frustration of the subject matter, without losing that rock edge, giving us the punch we need to tackle these issues.

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"Rotten" is one of those songs that is armed with great hooks that just keep you wanting more, played over an unusual time signature, giving it an abstract and unique feel. "Closure" closes the EP - it tackles the subject of dealing with loss and the fact that things must come to an end. It is a heartfelt song, (and feels like a sentimental farewell to their gutarist, Akos, who amicably left before this EP was released); the band says:

"This release marks a transition period for the band, so we felt like it had to come out now while all these thoughts and feelings are still fresh. Most of these songs were crafted on the road playing at dive bars."
 

And that has been the norm for Yur Mum, since 2018, when they unleashed their debut album 'Road Rage' (on Flicknife Records): they toured extensively, for two years, both domestically and in America, Brazil, France, Belgium, Austria, Hungary and Czech Republic, culminating in their 200th live shows during the "Lips Can Kill UK Tour" of 2019. They were also picked as the support band for New Model Army (at the Electric Ballroom and Cambridge Junction) in early November 2019, and have managed to sculpt their sound and continue as a two-piece band, full of energy, with great live performances. Yur Mum are certainly one of the bands to watch in 2020.

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Andy

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