Yello - Point - flyctory.com

Yello - Point

3.6

Rating

3.6/5

Flyctory.com Pros

It just sounds so Yello
Great (changing) atmosphere in the songs

Flyctory.com Cons

The album also has its definite downs and weaker tracks

Yello are legends of synth-pop and electronic music. The Swiss band was big in the 1980’s, but are still producing music. Their latest release was Point, which has been released on 28th August 2020.

Yello – About The Artists

Yello is a Swiss synth-pop project, which currently operates as a duo. Dieter Meier (born 4th March 1945 in Zurich) and Boris Blank (15th January 1952 also in Zurich) are both founding members. Four years after the founding of the band in 1979, the third founding member Carlos Peron left the band. The biggest song of the band is likely The Race, which has been released in 1988 and peaked fourth in the German and seventh in the British single charts. On the album side, the band has, however, already been established at that time. After two less successful albums, You Gotta Say Yes to Another Excess (1983) already had quite good chart positions in Germany and Switzerland, while the 1985 album Stella was on top of their home country.

Germany and Switzerland are the key markets. Yello frequently released albums and had ten studio albums between 1980 and 1999. Thereafter, their publications were more rarely, Point is the Swiss’ fourteenth album. The predecessor Toy (2016) was on top of the Swiss charts and was second-placed in Germany.

Yello – Point – Track by Track

Point is twelve songs and 39 minutes.

1. Waba Duba

Waba Duba was the first single to be released of that 2020 campaign – and it is also the starting song for Point. It makes me smile. Some elements even have a touch of The Race, the music video is somehow funny. Welcome back to (virtual) record stores, Yello!

2. The Vanishing Of Peter Strong

The Vanishing Of Peter Strong is much darker. The sounds are supporting the the story told in the vocals. Great atmospheric arrangement.

3. Way Down

The first three songs of the album are so different. This track feels very groovy, rhythmic. Reminds me a bit of 1990’s pop music, but of course with the Yello big portion of electronic sounds on top.

4. Out Of Sight

Out Of Sight is the second single of Point. I am not a fan of electronic music at all, but the old Swiss guys just know to do it. It is cool, makes me smile, makes me move. So it cannot be too bad.

5. Arthur Spark

The song works with distorted voices, wide range of synth sounds. I have to say that while I enjoyed the first four songs, Arthur Spark is very confusing to me, gives me a certain feeling of being unwell. Dislike… Sorry!

6. Big Boy’s Blues

Big Boy’s Blues even has some guitar sounds. That’s again a sound I can relate to. It is a cool style to transport your song, your message. Yello just create a new atmopshere, a new world for three and a half minutes. And even though they are electronic music worlds, they catch me.

7. Basic Avenue

The 2:55 minute Basic Avenue is the shortest song on the album. Very strong rhythm, altered sound of the voice. But I do not feel this “new world”, “new atmopshere” as strongly as I felt it in the song before, for example.

8. Core Shift

The album is an up and down to me. The Yello vibes work perfectly on me with Core Shift again. These three minutes have a strong The Race feeling in me (sorry for quoting the classic again). Cool rhythm.

9. Spinning My Mind

Spinning My Mind is very atmospheric, even feels a bit like lounge music to me. The rhythm is definitely not as much in focus as in other tracks. Definitely love this track, which the duo presented in parallel to the album release on YouTube.

10. Hot Pan

Wow! Hot Pan has a lot of power and thus is a quite characteristic and outstanding track on Point. Definitely one of my favorites of the album.

11. Rush For Joe

Rush For Joe is a cool arrangement, also as it plays with so many different sounds. I like the brass sound parts a lot – but then it is also fascinating how the track creates its very new styles and sounds just within 3:25 minutes. I am sure Yello fans will praise this track.

12. Siren Singing feat. Fifi Rong

For the great finale of the album, the Swiss legends teamed up with their fellow countrywoman Fifi Rong, who is also in electronic music. Her voice adds a great new sound to the album – a fantastic addition.

Yello – Point – Spotify

Spotify allows you to pre-listen to Point:

Yello – Point – My View

Point is fascinating to me. So enjoyable to see the Swiss guys still doing their thing, their music. And they are still doing it their style. Yello 2020 is not too far away from the music which made them famous. I am sure Yello insider and electronic music fans will point out a lot of evolution, also on the technical / instrumental side – but the sound is just… Yello… That’s what made them big, that’s how they are today. The album has too many ups and downs to me to be on top, but it still somehow made my day.