Yelverton Undertow

About

A cross-country grungy indie pop rock shoegaze band, formed  by Rob Rodgers (Winnipeg - Paper Moon) and Matthew Thomson (St. John's - Land of the Lakes).

More/Better info from East Coast Mag

YELVERTON UNDERTOW RELEASE ‘LAKES’ AFTER A NINETEEN-YEAR WAIT

April 2020 was a month of unprecedented shifts across Canada. Coming off the back of COVID-19’s arrival in the country, individuals and organizations from coast to coast were coming up with their own responses to this now-familiar way of life.

CBC Newfoundland saw an opportunity and took it, framing that month’s RPM (Record Production Month) Challenge as “Stay Home, Make Music.”

Rob Rodgers and Matthew Thompson, two old friends from St. John’s, took it a few steps further and emerged with one of the most impressive two-person jobs on the East Coast. Thus was the birth of Yelverton Undertow’s Lakes EP.

Reuniting after 19 years (having last played in a high school band together in 2001), the synergy of Rodgers and Thompson has more than withstood the test of time. With both halves of Yelverton Undertow pitching in on just about every aspect of each tune, the album ultimately blends into a catchy collection of alternative rock, with plenty of tones and flavours to go around.

“The Silence Is Mine” kicks off the EP with an upbeat tune that invites an ever-so-subtle hint of pop-rock into its chorus, with suave incantations dancing around mesmerizing guitar work in between. The duo comes out of the album’s gate swinging with swagger and confidence in spades, and “The Silence Is Mine” stands out as one of the best.

“Seaside” takes a much more intimate route, slowing down the pace and making room for melodies and moods that wring the heart rather than pumping it up. The reception is just as welcome, though. whether it’s one of the duo’s voices, their hospitable string melodies, or the welcoming chime of Rodgers’ glockenspiel, “Seaside” feels like a friend with whom you’ll be thick as thieves with.

Elsewhere, “The Emptier You Are” and “Count On You” goes back to fast-paced rhythms with some impressive bass work and ear-catching percussion, respectively. It’s “Going Somewhere,” however, that culminates their capabilities into their purest form, combining the warm beauty of “Seaside” with their comfort zone of high-energy production packed into a slower impact that hits just as hard as their quicker tunes.

Yelverton Undertow is the sort of partnership that isn’t seen very often. After almost twenty years apart, Rodgers and Thompson are firing on all cylinders with this reunion, and we can’t wait to see what they put out in 2040.