Taking Umbrage by Yowie

For fans of Drive like Jehu, Black Midi, Glenn Branca, progressive rock, and the type of deep, dark beauty which rewards diligent, detailed attention, Taking Umbrage by Yowie carefully orchestrates our path through a maximalist funhouse of some of the most extreme possible fringes of rock music. A choir of brilliantly dissonant guitars immediately draws our attention, steering the tone of the album through driving metal riffs and twinkling mathy melodies, unbelievably sticking to a strictly predetermined course while executing unfathomably complex maneuvers. At times, the rhythm section locks in behind these frantic guitars in a growling, explosive no wave formation, rooting the entire composition in massive drum hits and purposely crunchy bass lines. At others, the entire band meanders together, each player noodling in seemingly random directions while crossing one another’s paths at moments so unexpected and strange as to immediately demand a relisten. Where traditional notions of beauty focus on agreeable aesthetics and euphoric openness, the confined, labyrinthine spaces of Taking Umbrage confront us with an intense darkness just as stunning as the divine light.