Burlington, Vermont duo first known use approach indie rock with a curious balance of intimacy and unease on Yielding, an EP that seems just as interested in exploring the spaces between emotions as it is in finding a melody. Built around Izze Kaukonen’s buttery, tender vocals and Ethan Fitzpatrick’s understated guitar work and fluid arrangements, the project has a warm and inviting sound. There is a restless experimental streak running beneath its softer moments, giving the songs an intriguing tension.
The band’s name offers a glimpse into its creative philosophy: rather than seeing themselves as the inventors of their music, Kaukonen and Fitzpatrick think of songwriting as capturing and translating something that already exists beyond them. That idea seems fitting for a record that often feels like an intimate glimpse into thoughts and feelings still taking shape.
“Semantics” opens with slow, haunting acoustic guitar and a measured, thumping drum pattern. Kaukonen sings in a tender, thick voice, her delivery carrying a subdued dreariness that draws you into the song’s inward-looking mood. The arrangement gradually turns rougher, with bouts of fuzzy, grinding distortion cutting through the gentler instrumentation before retreating again. Those sudden eruptions give the track an unsettled quality, as though something simmering beneath the surface keeps threatening to break through.
“Roadkill,” meanwhile, takes a softer and more sensual approach. Warm and tender instrumentation sets the scene for Kaukonen’s close bedroom vocals coming through with a sensual intimacy. The performance feels understated but deeply personal, letting the atmosphere do much of the talking.
Across Yielding, first known use finds a compelling meeting point between experimentation and familiarity.
STAY IN TOUCH:
INSTAGRAM | SPOTIFY | BANDCAMP | WEBSITE | YOUTUBE
Review by: Naomi Joan