I've been playing the new album from Yea-Ming and The Rumours a whole lot lately. And while it's too early for me to post my rave review of that May 24 Dandy Boy Records release, I am very happy to be able to premiere a video from the band today.
"Somebody's Daughter" finds Yea-Ming Chen singing what sounds like a plea from the loneliest night you can imagine. That said, the spry melody of the song gives this real momentum. Sounding like Georgia Hubley a bit, the song is elegantly and simply presented, until the twang gives way to a coda of vocals over top of one another. Fans of early Nineties Yo La Tengo may find that this resonates with them too, and I'm sure you can trace a line from Galaxie 500, and Young Marble Giants, and even Moe Tucker (think the third Velvet Underground album specifically) to this. There's even -- and maybe it's the twang-y guitar talking -- a hint of the mournful resignation of David Berman's Purple Mountains here.
A standout from one of the warmest, most directly affecting releases of 2024, "Somebody's Daughter" is a good taste of the charms of I Can't Have It All. It's very easy for me to get enthusiastic about this one, and I hope you check out the full record in just a few weeks.
I Can't Have It All by Yea-Ming and The Rumours will be out on Dandy Boy Records on May 24. You can pre-order via the Bandcamp link below.
[Photo: Corey Poluk]