A review of Yellow Days

Almost a great night at The Brudenell

Prior to Yellow Days arriving on stage, there was a bizarre but certainly intriguing support set from Brian Nasty and his friend Isadora. They produce some high-quality vocal interactions over pre-recorded music, presumably created by the band they usually perform with. Nasty provided the majority of lyrics through a combination of rap and spoken word, while Isadora held many of the songs together with well-sung backing vocals. Nevertheless, there were some slightly awkward moments, notably when Nasty and Isadora had to find a way to bring the set to an end without a full band.

Brian Nasty and Isadora

Yellow Days was a 7-piece band, featuring a keyboard, 8-string bass, electric guitar, drums, sax, and trumpet. The band was evidently talented, with the bassist and horn players drawing my attention in particular. The bassist had a cool presence as he built some funky walking bass lines, and the horn section ensured audiological depth. The trumpeter effectively altered his dynamics with a stopper at points and hit some truly incredible notes too. Meanwhile, and situated just behind him, the saxophonist utilised the true potential of his instrument, blasting it out at key moments. And, as if to challenge those who might say a saxophone is a comparatively easy horned instrument to play, he also demonstrated that he was a very proficient flautist, giving some songs a delicate woodwind touch. 

Yellow Days band

Unfortunately however, the overall sound levels throughout the evening seemed too loud for the lead singer and drummer. As a result, it was hard to appreciate the variations in dynamics and timbre of the other instruments. Furthermore, dramatic reverb on the vocals and lack of any pauses to fully engage with the audience hindered a full appreciation of the true musicianship on display. Perhaps the most irritating thing about the evening is that it did not live up to its potential.