On ‘Blest,’ Yuno Explores Daring Pop Grandiosity On Sub Pop Full Length Debut (ALBUM REVIEW)

The debut full-length album Blest from Brooklyn-based artist Yuno finds him expanding the scope of his sound, embracing pop grandiosity and exploring vocal styles. Yuno’s musical journey finds him unrestricted by genre or style as he evolves. 

His 2018 EP Moodie (also on Sub Pop) found him dealing with a traumatic breakup. On Blest, he is back exploring the world, moving into new relationships, and trying to enjoy life. In the past, Yuno was responsible for all aspects of his work. Blest is co-produced by Frank Corr, who also contributed keyboards, drums, and guitar. 

While older tunes had more indie/emo undercurrents, Blest’s best moments are when Yuno fully embraces his large-scale pop influences. The opening title track is a great example, as the dance-laden pop-rock is an upbeat banger that cooks with electro beats and synths. “Gimme Ocean” is also a dynamite tune that takes ramped-up skittering beats, swirling synths, and an overloaded guitar solo that ends the song in a successful fashion. 

Funky bass and guitar strums around soaring vocals push “Unfair” forward, as the tune sounds directly inspired by Shuggie Otis’ “Strawberry Letter 23.” A few other efforts, like the swaying, layered, floating “We Belong” and the languidly rolling “Perfect Pear,” recall mid-90s PM Dawn.     

Yuno experiments with his vocals throughout the record, searching for a singing sound. When he retreats to more introverted vocals, such as on “Massive,” things are less impactful. However, when Yuno goes big, things click, like the dramatic “Fall Apart” and “Worst of Times,” which display his most urgent vocal style. There is also a pair of modern R&B experimentations, the get-down jam “True” and the album closer “Blitz!”, as Yuno feels comfortable creating in any genre. 

Overall, Yuno still seems to be searching for a comfortable vocal/musical zone to call his own, however Blest is an enjoyable ride that touches on various sounds and styles as he continues to develop his music.