The Yarns hail from Oxford and June 2012 sees the release of their new EP ‘Chase Me To The Hills’. I have to be honest and say that their brand of acoustic pop isn’t entirely my cup of tea, but that said, they are clearly good at what they do and are talented musicians. They have also generated a lot of local interest and even shared the stage with Oxford legend Gaz Coombes of Supergrass fame.
The acoustic guitar is driven on by a subtle but tight rhythm section, and trumpet melodies which give the songs that little bit extra. The lyrics are certainly blunt and to the point and give each track a ‘story telling’ feel to them.
The press release for this EP compares The Yarns to Bright Eyes, which I would be inclined to disagree with. The lyrics are inventive and sharp enough to draw comparisons to the song writing styles of Alex Turner and maybe even Morrissey, but the comparisons stop there. It would be fair to say that musically The Yarns have a sound which, while not unique, certainly has their own stamp to it.
As I said, this isn’t my kind of thing but I wouldn’t turn the stereo off in disgust if someone put this EP on.