Heartbreaking Bravery

Rounding out the first week and a half of great songs in April is a strong group that  include memorable tracks from Mean Jeans, Wolf Prize, Outer Spaces, Erin Tobey, Spice Boys, Museum Mouth, The Blind Pets, and Psychic Heat. While all of those songs warrant as many repeat plays as they wind up receiving, it was the latest from Yucky Duster — an insanely thoughtful punk-leaning powerpop number called “Gofer” — that grabbed this post’s feature.

Opening with only vocals and an intuitive bass figure “Gofer” could have gone just about any direction, making the band’s meticulous direction of the song nothing short of spectacular. From the nervy riffing that propels the verses to the doo-wop backing vocals, every choice involved in “Gofer” elevates the song into the realm of modern classics. The production on “Gofer” is constructed in a way that reveals Yucky Duster’s DIY ethos while simultaneously providing just enough grit to wind up enhancing the song’s inherent pluckiness.

On a lyrical level, the song’s an examination of the space that exists between two people who are thinking about the same thing but only one can find the courage required for total commitment. On the narrative plain, the POV falls squarely to the latter person of that scenario, the one who’s desperately hoping for some sort of change. “Gofer” paints a stark counterbalance to its giddy musical composition with the sheer weight of its central content. Despite that difference (and, partially, because of that dichotomy), everything on “Gofer” clicks and proves, in under two minutes, that Yucky Duster are one of today’s most exciting emerging bands. Don’t let this one fall off by the wayside, it’s far too good to be forgotten.

Listen to “Gofer” below and keep an eye on this site for more updates on the band.