CD Review: Blue Yazoo - Live at Wilson Hall
mason wright, the peak

Once in a while a band with SFU connections will pop up on the local music scene and submit an independent CD to The Peak for review. Often, these bands are grunge rock or heavy metal outfits without much of a future. Rarely do you find a group like Blue Yazoo, a jazz-tinged quintet that plays an eccentric mix of jazz, rock and pop. Live at Wilson Hall is Blue Yazoo's demo-quality first effort which isn't actually a live album. Ha ha.

Anyway, with their vocal harmonies and diverse song selection, Blue Yazoo displays obvious musical talent and know-how. Ultimately, though, something is missing. Maybe the mixing on the DIY CD is the problem, or maybe Blue Yazoo is just ahead of its time, but the impression I get is that the CD lacks consistency and feels a little rigid overall. Still, in a few more years the band may have the kind of cult following that a band like They Might Be Giants enjoys. Without question, they have a unique sound to build on.

[ Back to issue 12 ]