Yowl – Warm (in the Soft White Fire of Modern Living) (Stream)

by Steven Spoerl

In the closing stretch of last week records from Karen Meat, Blues Lawyer, DEEREST, Mind Monogram, and Say Sue Me all found ways to make an impact. Another piece of music that found release in that time was Yowl’s “Warm (in the Soft White Fire of Modern Living)”, a dynamic slice of post-punk that veers back and forth between a probing, mid-tempo verse and an extremely explosive chorus that suffuses the song’s narrative with some crushing realism.

Shades of Pavement are as easy to pick out as references to their contemporaries in Car Seat Headrest, but something about “Warm (in the Soft White Fire of Modern Living)” feels singular enough to separate Yowl from any comparisons to those two acts (or any number of Flying Nun projects). There’s genuine conviction in this songwriting and the band have sculpted a composition that allows both the lyrics and music to heighten each other, rather than taking a more ancillary role. It’s an incredible track that finds Yowl well on their way to entering bigger discussions. “Warm (in the Soft White Fire of Modern Living)” is the kind of statement track that deserves — and seems poised to earn — a much wider audience.

Listen to “Warm (in the Soft White Fire of Modern Living)” below and keep an eye on this site for more details on the band in the future.