YONAKA - WELCOME TO MY HOUSE
Two years have passed since the release of their mixtape Seize The Power, but Yonaka return with a defined focus sonically, blending past influences with a sharper emphasis on the punk elements of what makes Yonaka, Yonaka. The band have evolved and matured: Theresa, Alex, and George present as a hypnotic rock-hybrid with an empowering EP - Welcome To My House.
Described as an EP which delves “deep inside themes of mental health, empowerment, and the here and now with clear intention and expansive vision,” Welcome To My House is a punk-fueled and gritty collection of songs which highlights Yonaka’s raw lyricism combined with their heavy rock-hybrid sound. The band are welcoming the audience to their house - their minds, destructive thoughts, and overall how they view living in a society with these struggles looming over them.
Opening with the EP with the focus track, ‘By The Time You’re Reading This’, Yonaka provides the audience with an electric high-power energy that you cannot help but nod your head along to. Theresa shares the meaning behind the track: "This song is about living in the moment. I feel like so many moments have been missed from not being fully present and you only realise how much this thing or persona was to you when it's gone.” Electrically enhanced with passion and a heavy bass-line from the band’s bassist Alex, the focus track plunges straight into the high vitality of the record, intensifying the cleaner and consistent sound Yonaka now has.
Following a similar punk-fueled determination, singles such as ‘PANIC’ and ‘Welcome To My House’ exert punk tendencies combined with catchy chants as well as powerful drum beats crafted by the band - two tracks which highlight Yonaka’s vulnerable and stylistic songwriting abilities. ‘PANIC’ tackles themes of mental health and has openly been identified to be about Thersea's struggles with panic attacks and her mental struggles. The consistent topic of mental health in this record stands Yonaka out as a band who are not afraid to write about personal subjects.
Theresa’s rap style in ‘PANIC’ is a standout performance on the EP also - it allows collaboration of the punk and hip hop genres effectively. Whereas ‘Welcome To My House’ features a high-powered electric bassline and drum beat incorporated with hypotonic vocals as the band chants “Welcome to my house!” showcasing the versatility of Therasa vocals and the bands effectiveness to merge genres.
A distinct record sonically is ‘Give Me My Halo’. Being the piano ballad of the EP, the haunting vocals of Theresa, accompanied by the acoustic guitar of George, create a choral sense of bliss. Embedded between punk and gritty rock anthems on the EP, ‘Give Me My Halo’ allows Yonaka to show their musical abilities without hiding behind heavy production and guitar riffs.
The second half of the EP stands out considerably, with the tracks becoming significantly more punk influenced. ‘I Want More’ is laced with a pop-punk catchy riff: “Get up, wake up, work out, clean.” Repeating these monotonous daily activities presents an image of lockdown and Covid-19 life, living in a dull and repetitive cycle which charged everyone with anger and rage. The chanting vocals combined with George's pop-punk fused guitar riffs help the song to climax into an angry fury of demands: “I want more, chaos, money, fame.” The anger felt within the vocals and baseline allows the song to excel on the record - Yonaka thrives in this heavier and grittier sounding music proving this era of music to be their most experimental in terms of punk influence and passion.
Impeccably closing the album is ‘Hands Off My Money’, the most daring and mosh-like song on the record. Heavy punk energy flows throughout this track as it perfectly accumulates the overall ability of the EP concerning Yonaka as a rock-hybrid punk force. “I have a choice / I will not suffer under any man's voice” is angrily chanted throughout the record and stands out as one of the most empowering and gripping lyrics of the entire EP. Female empowerment echoes through Theresa’s vocals as the band scream and shouts about women’s rights and female empowerment. A noticeable choice in ‘Hands Off My Money’ is the till chiming sound that mimics money and a transaction - a particular yet efficient use of sound effects within this song. The essence of both The Sex Pistols and Amyl and The Sniffers is present throughout this song as Yonaka’s heavy punk-driven sound provides a consistent yet transformed sound compared to their previous releases. This EP closer is a perfect way to accumulate all the overarching themes of the new Yonaka record - Welcome To My House.
Stepping further into the punk genre and introducing grittier and more electric-sounding guitars and basslines to this record shows that Yonaka are not messing around and have put their foot firmly in the door - cementing themselves wholly in the punk genre. Welcome To My House cultivates a sense of intensity and drive relating to mental health, empowerment, and living in the now: Yonaka’s confidence exerts throughout with a burning passion. By exploring this new sonic region, Welcome To My House, Yonaka is at their best regarding sound and consistency: glossing over this project would be a mistake.
Amber Nielsen
★★★★☆