For better or worse, Yorn keeps things simple on Back and Fourth.
Release Date: June 23, 2009
Record Label: Columbia
Rating: 79
Admittedly, nearly all of Yorn’s releases could be considered “growers.” There’s a deceivingly simplistic structure to his songs, yet somewhere between his lyrics and his sweeping hooks, he reels in the listener. Even so, it’s hard to say that his career has been consistent in any way. After a blazing debut in Musicforthemorningafter, Yorn has struggled to match expectations, although Nightcrawler occasionally came very close. Instead of continuing where he left off last time around, Yorn starts from scratch on Back and Fourth. Not only does he have his own backing band this time around, but he also largely stays away from playing electric guitar– occasionally teasing that he’ll break out into an all out rocker before toning it down again. While there’s certainly nothing wrong with that, the general landscape of the album is so flat that it’s a bit like attempting to admire the long stretches of cornfields in Iowa– sure it’s pretty, but after a while, there’s hardly anything unexpected.
That’s not to say it’s all AOR material here, and to its credit, Back and Fourth improves substantially in the latter half of the album, particularly with songs like “Shotgun,” “Long Time Nothing New,” and the closing “Thinking of You.” The second half of the album improves upon the first by not feeling nearly as forced or clichéd as say the lead single “Don’t Wanna Cry.” Instead, there’s almost a sense of Yorn settling into the same type of groove that he found on Musicforthemorningafter– nothing flashy, but the heart-on-my-sleeve type of honesty with a splash of artistry for good measure.
Perhaps I’m expecting too much, but it appeared that Yorn was priming himself for a major leap forward on the heels of Nightcrawler, instead, he returns with material that, while good in its own right, doesn’t wholly stand out unless you’re an avid fan.
Pete Yorn - “Shotgun”
