I must admit that I was a bit skeptical that any band with a name like Yoko and the Oh No's was gonna be any good. My fear was that the kids in the band had spent more time thinking up that name than coming up with some tunes, you know? But I'm happy to report that the self-titled new one from the trio, out Friday on Autumn Tone Records, won me over and I'm now a fan of Yoko and the Oh No's.
The throwback guitar licks in "She Ain't Mine" worked their magic on me and I was quickly nodding my head along to the tune, same goes with the insanely catchy "Nobody Wants to Know" and its nods in the direction of The Strokes.
Yoko and the Oh No's share a label with Twin Peaks and there's a hint of that band on "She Knows It" and the other more straightforward cuts on this record. That sort of ramshackle Indie is offset by the charms of "Heart Attack" which is surprisingly direct and affecting. Never once sacrificing melody and a hook for any sort of other result, Yoko and the Oh No's have delivered a strong set of tunes on this self-titled record. This is music that owes a big debt to The Strokes and even the Arctic Monkeys in spots but it's also music that remains uniquely tuneful and melodic in ways that made me raise an eyebrow as a listener. I went into this one with pretty low expectations and I came out a fan at the end by the time the album was over. Dig this one folks!
Yoko and the Oh No's by Yoko and the Oh No's will be out on Friday via Autumn Tone Records. Follow the band via their official Facebook page.