YOVA - Dreamcatchers (2024) Hi-Res

After the excellent debut Nine Lives, the tantalising duo are back with another nine sublime slices of haunting electronica that slides right into 2024 with a silky hit of bliss reckons Wayne AF Carey…

When we’re being hit by so called ‘shouty music’ and the new wave of Tory bands being fabricated for the masses it’s nice to hear something refreshing that gives us a whiff of mysticism and a bit of the old trip hop electronica we all got hooked on when music was shifting into a platter of dance orientated stuff in the late nineties. The guest list on this second album is astonishing when you look at the names involved, so there’s not an ounce of bullshit flying around here. YOVA assembled a collective of like-minded musicians to create the sonic tapestry of Dreamcatchers including Terry Edwards (Nick Cave, Gallon Drunk, The Jesus & Mary Chain), James Sedwards (Thurston Moore Group / This Is Not This Heat), Rob Ellis ( PJ Harvey, Marianne Faithfull), Daniel O’Sullivan ( Grumbling Fur, TIm Burgess), and Alex Thomas (John Cale, Anna Calvi).

Just as our own personal dreams are ever-changing and possess the ability to shapeshift far beyond the realm we thought our minds were capable of, so each of the album’s innovative tracks mutate with an unexpected flourish. Darting between the brooding and the upbeat, the storm and the calm and “ultimately the hopeful and transcendental”, ‘Dreamcatchers’ plays with the space between the conscious and the unconscious just as fluidly as it seesaws between swirling instrumentals and stark silence.

Discussing the themes behind the record Mark Vernon explains:

“The lyrics of the songs delve deeply into our lost and unrealised dreams and ideals, whether from a personal perspective or within a more global context. The tracks relate to how our dreams are caught then nurtured, then realised, abandoned or destroyed. This can apply to our personal lives, but it equally informs our helplessness and ongoing quest for self-identity at a time of deep geopolitical and ecological uncertainty.”

Opening track Dreamcatcher is an atmospheric piece of dark trip hop layered with a bassy drum beat, strings and haunting electronica that drags you in with the vocals that are a warped mix of Bjork and Beth Gibbons which Jova Radevska twist into her own unique style. Hurt Like No Hurt kicks off with a great floating bass line and builds up into a cracking chorus that ramps up the sound over the atmospherics. The whole song has snippets of tiny guitar riffs and drums that build. Feel Your Fear has a perfect pop sound that just lifts the soul with the honey vocals and the textures of sound that swill around your ears.

The Beating is just a beautiful piece of music which gives a nod to ‘female empowerment and strength in the face of adversity’ It’s got that torch song feel especially with the tenor guitar, synth and piano backed by Jova’s smooth as silk vocals. Maybe is another piece of perfect chamber pop that is similar to Katie Melua yet a hell of lot better as Jova’s vocals are the epitomy of classic soul. The Thrill Is Gone goes all jazz noir which is what you’d expect for a 1951 blues classic from Roy Hawkins and Rick Darnell, which I must admit I’d not heard until listening to this. It’s a great modern take that’s been polished to perfection by the myriad of talent involved throughout this album.

Conviction is a mediaeval folk inspired number which sounds great and atmospheric with the excellent acoustic guitar backed with haunting keys that give off a spooky yet gorgeous vibe. Addictions picks up the pace again with its upbeat country pop that gives the Swifties and the Cyruses a run for their dollars. Closing track Dreamcatchers (Make Up Your Mind) is an eight minute epic courtesy of Vernon and Radevska backed by hypnotic percussion courtesy of Alex Thomas, Daniel O’Sullvan on bass, zither, and mellotron and James Sedwards (Thurston Moore Group) spiralling guitar patterns. A spin on the title track it’s a song full of orchestral ambition that drags you in every time. A perfect ending to a stunning album filled with layers of sound and scope.