Yuck by Yuck

London’s Yuck is one of several new acts to lean on the ’90s indie-rock formula of distorted, busy guitar hooks, simple bass lines, and literate lyrics. But on their s/t debut, Yuck accomplishes something that the other throwbacks haven't, restoring the indie rock of the ’90s back to its original condition.

"Get Away," starts the album off with a Superchunk-infused guitar-and-bass strum accompanied by a meandering Dinosaur Jr.–inspired lead that fades to a Frank Black–sounding intro. "Break it down and then break it up again," sings Daniel Blumberg over a hypnotic bass line.

Songs range from upbeat tunes complete with loud, melodic guitar hooks, as heard on "The Wall" and "Georgia," to heavier ballads with Elliott Smith–inspired guitar and hushed melancholic whispers, such as "Suicide Policeman" and "Stutter."

Throughout the collection, the quartet borrows but does not steal from their predecessors. And what they take, they give back in a sense of coming of age, of personal journey and angst, and they do so through melodic, tuneful songs.

• Album: Yuck (2011)
• Artist: Yuck
• Label: Fat Possum
• Songs: (1) Get Away (2) The Wall (3) Shook Down (4) Holing Out (5)Suicide Policeman (5) Georgia (6) Suck (7) Stutter (8) Operation (9) Sunday (10) Rose Gives a Lilly (11) Rubber