Album Review: YACHT - I Thought The Future Would Be Cooler
By Travis Boswell, Staff Writer
[Downtown; 2015]
Rating: 3.5/5
Key Tracks: “I Thought The Future Would Be Cooler”, “War on Women”
YACHT is back for the sixth time with a warning about the future. They are not time travelers here to warn us of the oncoming technological hellscape. Their argument is that we are living in the future, and it's not nearly as good as it should be.
I Thought The Future Would Be Cooler touches on these themes throughout, and these moments are the most compelling. The title track contains lyrics that sums up the entire “bad future” concept:
“Infinitely scroll through a SWAT team on the sidewalk / Serving death by remote control, and unrestricted sidearms.”
There's a pretty concise dig at social media addiction, police militarization, drone strikes and America's gun control problem without sounding self-righteous. “War on Women” has Claire Evans sarcastically interpret one harassment-free day as the end of systematic oppression against women. The tongue-in-cheek theme and punchy dance-punk makes it one of the album's most memorable tracks.
There's a lot of quality electropop on I Thought The Future Would Be Cooler from the mellow bounce of “L.A. Plays Itself”, kinetic beat of “The Entertainment” and the slowly-burning, eight minute “Miles & Miles”. The largest issue is that most songs are not on the level of the title track and “War on Women”. They are enjoyable, but not essential.
There are a few songs that try too hard and fall flat. “Ringtone” tries an abrasive chorus and ringtone sound effects for a comedic appeal, but isn't very memorable. “I Wanna Fuck You Till I'm Dead” tries the old trick of pairing an upbeat rock track with a vulgar chorus, but it feels extremely dated and its abrupt style changes makes the track even less enjoyable.
Most of I Thought The Future Would Be Cooler isn't a cultural critique, but those moments are its strongest. YACHT can put out an album of danceable tracks in its sleep. If the band showed the same consistency with lyrics and themes throughout the album, it could have been even cooler.
