yama‘s fourth album, ; semicolon, is a pop collection of strong contrasts and beautiful collaborations. Review.
; SEMICOLON – YAMA
Warm electro-pop rhythms, electric bursts, and a voice that is both soft and powerful, yama’s album ; semicolon is easy on the ear. TORIHADA kicks things off with a soft, subtle, and modern intro and verses, before allowing its chorus to take centre stage. Its colourful pop, layered with electro sounds, makes for a very nice introduction. Film follows quite naturally, with its equally sparkling atmosphere. Always lively, and showcasing more of the subtlety in their voice, the brilliant Kodama arrives. Through this track, yama demonstrates that the unique texture of their voice perfectly complements their vibrant pop, with a particularly catchy melody.
They add a few more pixels and here comes Seimei. It’s still within a more pop-electro world than I tend to go for, but its quality and warmth make it essential. However, yama also knows how to deliver tracks with a more rock-tinged feel. BURN, a duet with WurtS, is a personal favourite of mine. The saturation remains on the guitars and extends to the synths with MUSE, which follows in an explosion of colour! Full of untamable energy, yama moves into the thrilling Origin.
A touch of jazz and funk in their pop is particularly effective when they team up with Taka Perry for the groovy and slightly nostalgic Vinyl. And if everything has been sparkling up until now, the anonymous artist isn’t afraid to slow things down. They invoke the golden hour, calm, and compassion with the lovely rain check. To create a melancholic atmosphere, yama associates their tenderness with the power of the rock band indigo la End on the sublime Drop. Finally, yama finishes their fourth album, ; semicolon, with restraint, closing with its eponymous track. Everything is about contrast, from the lightness of the atmospheres to the textures, to the collaborations, and it suits them wonderfully!
