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Countless evergreens, enough rainfall to rival Ireland, scenic, overcast coastal drives— If there was one band that could capture the indie sound of the Pacific Northwest, Portland-based Yaquina Bay would be the one. Reminiscent of The Decemberists, Death Cab For Cutie, and Blind Pilot, but with a unique twist all their own, Yaquina Bay’s September 2015 release Past Lives takes the listener on a whimsical road trip down the West Coast.
“Prologue” acts as an intro into “Old Foes.” Think The Head & The Heart meets Beirut. A ukulele fiercely keeps the rhythm while vaguely sleepy vocals, the occasional grungy guitar, and anthemic drums and bass keep the song’s vitals up.
“Confessions in San Francisco” continues the whimsy with a gentle bell riff leading into a slow ballad about California. The song is beautifully orchestrated with soulful strings and a militia-like snare, and the ever-present rhythm ukulele.
The intro of “Cleanse” slows the album down with an acoustic guitar in the lead and a continuation of the bell riff before picking up about halfway through with our old friends, the grungy electric guitar and drums.
“If You Sing Once (You Weep for a Lifetime)” opens with the electric guitar paired with a vaguely Sigh No More-era Mumford & Sons-esque kick-tambourine combo. The song borrows from the Death Cab notion that every album needs a song-length instrumental in the middle.
“Sickness” takes on a different sound opening with piano and building with hushed backing harmonies and steady drum before dropping off to a slow organ solo and ending in a strings section. The title track “Past Lives” picks up where the previous song ended, opening with strings and acoustic guitar. It perfectly follows what I’ve come to consider the Yaquina Bay song formula of building from ballad to anthem and dropping back to ballad again.
The album ends on “Close,” a haunting piano and strings duet that will leave you staring off into the distance thinking about all the times you never called your mother back. Altogether, the perfect album for your next drive from Seattle to San Francisco.
(You can stream and purchase Past Lives via Yaquina Bay’s Bandcamp page.)
