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James Yorkston and the Athletes
JUST BEYOND THE RIVER
(Domino)
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Sensitive boys, take heed: coming on folk without the freak, Scotland’s James Yorkston just wants to give you a hug, maybe a tumble, in this gauzy collection of make-out tunes. As produced by Four Tet’s folktronic auteur, Kieran Hebden, it’s a bit of a vibe album, with Yorkston’s moody, Nick Drake–ish vocals set against lush acoustic backdrops. There’s an air of romance surrounding Just Beyond the River: more often than not, Yorkston’s warm feelings seem directed toward some beguiling siren. Accordion and plucked banjo bolster the sonorous "Banjo #1" as he sings, "Look beyond my need for clamor, my clumsy touch and Catholic roving eye/Here’s a man who knows what love means to you and I/ It’s the comfort inside." And the Athletes’ spare mix gives a campfire-like immediacy to the pastoral "Shipwreckers" and the traditional ballad "The Snow It Melts the Soonest." Yorkston has a singer-songwriter’s gift for the basics — pretty melodies and sharp lyrics — along with enough passionate intensity to bring out the swooning romantic in the most cynical of hearts. (James Yorkston opens for Sam Prekop next Thursday, June 2, downstairs at the Middle East, 480 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square; call 617-864-EAST.)
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