Yoke Lore

One Liner:  Unremarkable indie synth pop by a former member of Walk the Moon

Wikipedia Genre:  indie rock, indie folk

Home: New York

Poster Position: Second Quarter - Line 13
Both Weekends.
Saturday.

Thoughts:  I need to know how to pronounce this one.  I sort of want it to be pronounced like the thing that two oxen would get attached to.  Funny thing, is it is a made-up moniker, not a name like one might expect.  The guy's real name is Adrian Galvin, and he was once a part of Walk the Moon ("Shut up and Dance" and whatnot).  After a few hours, I can say that this is not my jam.  Also, I found a video, and it is in fact pronounced like "thing you attach to oxen" and "collection of stories about the history of something."

Our buddy Adrian is from Katonah, New York, and his brother is actor Noah Galvin, who I am pretty sure I saw play Evan Hansen in Dead Evan Hansen on Broadway.  He was also in movies Booksmart and Theater Camp, a TV show called The Real O'neals, and another called The Good Doctor.  But this is not that guy, this is that guy's brother.  Adrian attended Kenyon College in Ohio, where he began writing songs and playing drums for Walk the Moon.  He went solo and released his first EP in 2016, performing at SXSW and touring the WORLD!

Four or six EPs from 2016 until his one and only album release in 2023.  Toward a Never Ending New Beginning is quite a title.  None of the songs on that disc really hit - most are under 200k streams.  But he absolutely struck gold on one song - from 2017's Goodpain EP - called "Beige."  286.8 million streams.  No way this was not a TikTok thing.

I think it is the vocal tone that puts me off on him.  Slightly whiney.  Because otherwise, I could use more banjo music in my life.  Sounds like a Jack Antonoff-produced tune with grandiose 80's synths thrumming in the background.  He also has a song on Spotify called "Beige (unburdened)," which again, sounds like  TikTok thing where the children can do their unburdened dance only to that version of the song.  "Seeds" was a 2021 single that didn't pop back up on the album, but has 34.6 million streams.

I stand by my Jack Antonoff comment.  The whining feels less pronounced, I don't mind that one as much.  I can't think of who this guy reminds me of, maybe like Foster the People guy?  Mt. Joy?  And now after listening more I am less unhappy with it overall, but it certainly is not where I aim my musical tastes most of the time.  Doubt I'd do it.