Yonlu
A Society in Which No Tear is Shed is Inconceivably Mediocre
Luaka Bop Inc.
9/10
Brazilian artist Yonlu leaves a lasting impression on his first and unfortunately last album. Vinicius Gageiro Marques aka Yonlu (internet screen name) took his own life at the age of 16 and after he passed away, his parents found this record. Even though nothing overshadows the tragic loss of this soft-spoken artist, Yonlu’s legacy lives on through his music.
Give the lad a lot of credit for being a talented artist beyond his years and despite his life being cut short, his musical capabilities certainly do not limit him to just being all doom and gloom. Yonlu is able to harness positive energy as well. For instance, “I Know What It’s Like” gives off these Elliot Smith-type vocals that are layered in beautiful guitar-playing. Also, the hand claps give off a good vibe and add an interesting touch to the song. Interestingly enough, when Yonlu acknowledges his Brazilian roots like he does in the song, “Olhe Por Nos,” all of a sudden the mood is lighthearted and the fast guitar playing conveys an all-around good time atmosphere.
Speaking of interesting, the song “The Boy and The Tiger” really steps out of the box as far as musical experimentation is concerned. At first, the Latin flavor seems to set the stage for the rest of the piece, but then comes the static noise followed by whistling over a guitar that throws this whole idea off course. It’s unpredictable by nature and the random animal noises start to engage a listener to the point where it becomes unsettling, especially with the creepy voices that come out of nowhere. Yonlu speeds up the track and then all of a sudden- a rap section. This arrangement sounds like a spontaneous adventure that actually turned out to be quite theatrical in a good way. The same goes for the song “Polyalphabetic Cipher,” expect that it sounds more like a barely audible spoken word poem, so raw in its delivery. Also, “Q-Tip” happens to share the same intensity and strangeness. Call it if you will, one of the many Sergeant Pepper moments for Yonlu.
Staying on the Beatles’ wavelength, the teenager shows off his sensitive Paul McCartney-style vocals on the track entitled “Humiliation.” It’s beautifully sung and it has the right amount of tenderness that can tug on the heartstrings of any listener. Its simplicity demonstrates that an artist does not necessarily need to do too much with the music in order to tap into a deeply vulnerable side. Similarly, “Estrela, Estrela” has the same mindset except for the obvious foreign language factor, but it does not take away the fact that it is a gorgeous song. However, one track that trumps this concept is “Suicide.” It is the most revealing and deliberately focused piece on the album. The lyrics capture the pain and the music allows the words to project this sadness in a way that can possibly give his parents somewhat of an understanding but can never give them the right amount of consolation to justify their son taking his own life.
Released last month, the album fits the category of experimental, but it does not begin to sum up Yonlu’s body of work at all. In fact, the teenager from Rio Grande do Sul does more than just fiddle with sounds. Instead, the Luaka Bop artist makes precise arrangements that embody a maturity that is amazing for somebody to have at the tender age of 16 and it is devastating that it all had to stop right there.
–Gail Navarro