On Yukon Blonde’s third album, the BC indie rockers shift the emphasis away from jangly guitars to embrace synthesizers. They haven’t gone completely new wave, but there’s a big 80s influence, and many of these tunes would be at home on the soundtrack to an old John Hughes coming-of-age movie. It’s a gamble that some of their more rockist fans won’t be happy about, but the new sonic elements and approach are integral to the best songs on the album.
On Blonde starts out strong with catchy hooks reminiscent of The Cars, Brian Ferry, T-Rex and maybe a bit of Tom Petty-with-synths. There are enough guitars and big rock drums so it still sounds like Yukon Blonde, but with an extra layer of gloss and shine. Too bad the most inspired songs are all stacked together on the first half the record loses steam halfway through. Nevertheless, they deserve credit for inserting some funk into their indie rock, while avoiding the cheeseball aspects that often afflict this kind of endeavour.
Top track: I Wanna Be Your Man
