Yarn, This is the Year

Yarn

This is the Year

Reviewed by: Tiffany Taylor

With an album name such as This is the Year it nearly speaks for itself. Yarn, a North Carolina based Americana band is unleashing their country/folk full length to the masses with lots of passion and joy packed tightly in 12 tracks. The album is simple and minimalistic and the voice is the main focus. As any popular country album, Yarn draws it back a notch with their approach to more than just one audience. As a person who does not delve into country or Americana often, I was impressed with the quality and calm feel that This is the Year was able to give. Given I wrote this review outside on a beautiful day on my porch, I suggest that is where anyone gives it the first listen: with a cold drink and a rocking chair.

Defining themselves as an Americana band was simply too broad for me to digest. As you delve deeper into the songs on the album, the sound really holds true to a quaint country/folk album. Their tone and voice reminds me most of all of something that the Zac Brown Band would put out, which could be taken as good or band depending on your feelings for that type of country. Given their sound is so similar to so many other things, Yarn makes it very difficult for them to stand on their own. Each draw and lull of the guitar is so familiar, it makes it hard to differentiate from any other melodic, sweet country jam.

Do not get wrong, Yarn has talent, and a lot of it. “Carolina Heart” was my favorite track on the album and it was their opening one. It keeps a sweet backdrop for the singing and the words. I believe Yarn’s main focus with this album was to elate all their feelings and fill it to the brim in an album. I commend any artist who takes what happens in their life and decides to bring that to life with music. Yarn is perfect example of taking what they do best to make sense of feelings and talk about moving forward.

The last track, “If I Let You Down”, is another amazing song on the album with beautiful guitar strings going back and forth. It’s sweet and somber. Frustrating though- Yarn was off to such a strong start and ended with such an amazing finish, but the middle is just very mediocre. Of course with a review, not everything can be perfect, but I was just very disappointed with the outcome of an album that was supposed to stand for so much. When you say This is the Year you expect great things, instead listeners are left with a shrug and not much left to remember.

Rating: Listenable