Tune-Yards – Better Dreaming Review

What does Tune-Yards sound like?

DIY Bedroom loops that have crossed over into studio glory, with a powerful vocal.

The review of ‘Better Dreaming’ by Tune-Yards

Parenthood gives fresh perspectives, and whilst it’s not an overt theme on Tune-Yards’ latest album ‘Better Dreaming’, it feels like a hidden spine for a lot of the subject matters across the album. With ‘Better Dreaming’, sonically, Tune-Yards leans into influences from 60s and 70s funk and disco. It is viewed through the lens of Merrill and Nate’s kaleidoscope of synths, drum loops, vocal harmonies and bass – all signature sounds of the duo. For me, this album is about cognitive dissonance.

We start with ‘Heartbreak’, a thigh-slapping tumble beat with big chords and a bigger lead vocal. Merrill takes her time building to the rapturous finale, making it feel earned, whilst Nate’s bass flexes and grooves underneath the mid-tempo shoop. The tune itself is happy, the lyrics are sad and poignant. This carries into the harmonic razor of ‘Swarm’. Here, Merrill’s voice buzzes around like a melodic siren, as synths warble, sizzle, and stab at the listener. The simple yet funky bassline and chonky beats bring pace, and the firmly political nature of the track makes it a rousing, punchy number. There is an element of learning, standing up for your beliefs, and wrestling with internal guilt for the joy you feel when the world is in chaos. Amplify that as a parent, and that to me is the core emotional thread of the album.

We move into a stalking groove for ‘Never Look Back’. Reminding me of the thick bass-led grooves like the Knight Rider theme tune, this track sounds cinematic. In particular, the closing third features Merrill hauntingly veer off-key as if the song itself is catching up with her. I have read that this track is partly about abuse, and if that’s the case, its unnerving “something’s off” vibe suits it perfectly. The flipside is ‘Suspended’, which uses kids’ toys and a nursery rhyme-like piano riff for the first two minutes. It’s a slow, kitchen sink approach that brings audible levity, before the final minute transforms the track into a piano rock explosion. It pairs exceptionally with ‘Limelight’, the big alternative disco track on the album. From the catchy playground vocal riffs, plucky and strange synths twisting around you, and the committed snare snaps, everything is designed to make you move. Whilst much of the album wrestles with guilty happiness, as this track does, at least we can bop as the world burns around us for a few minutes.

“We don’t know how we get through, but we all get through”, muses Tune-Yards in the soul-inspired ‘Get Through’. The lighter keyboards, the soulful vocals, and the raspy brass are sublime. This album has a distinctive The Go Team style of lo-fi crunchy production, and it pairs perfectly with the soulful delivery of this track. I feel like this track is the heart of the album, yearning for optimism. Part message to the listener, part message to herself, it lands a perfect pick-me-up. The title track follows as a dusty, eerie track. It’s the first time we hear the signature ukulele, solemnly plucking around a moody, slow bass-led piece. This dream is more nightmarish, with big shifts in volume, fuzz, and drama. It’s also the rock-focused I’ve heard Tune-Yards in a while.

After declaring in the title track that “I’d choose much better”, we move into the other would-be hit. ‘How Big Is The Rainbow’ reminds me of Ibibio Sound Machine with its hand percussion mixed in with dance rhythms. The insanely catchy chorus and vocal hook rank up there with Tune-Yards’ all-time greats, and the climax is the most satisfying since ‘Heart Attack’. Staying in the tribal ways, ‘See You There’ is a short vocal harmony track, backed up with bass guitar. Evoking a campfire declaration that gets increasingly bolder and more empassioned until the song breaks into Merrill screaming, “You said go to hell, well I’ll see you there!”. The uke returns for ‘Perpetual Motion’, a beautiful merger of soul, funk, and vocal harmonies blitzed in a filter blender. The track transitions into a psychedelic cascade of keyboards, drums and vocal layers. Again, flirting with rock but through bedroom pop lo-fi production is a great move, and I’d love to hear the duo explore this style more in the future. The album closes out with the percussive ‘Sanctuary’. Repeating a simple pulsating refrain whilst Merrill moves from spoken word, to crazed shouting, to an entire choir by the finale, it may be the biggest sounding Tune-Yards song to date. Designed to wave your mobiles or lighters to, it’d be the perfect set closer live.

Like previous albums, Tune-Yards insert audio clips of Merrill talking to their child, and their child talking back. This endearing patchwork quilt of sound gives the music an added slice of humanity that I always enjoy. It brings Tune-Yards back to their roots, as Merrill Garbus’ DIY bedroom looper. The world has changed, the band has learned and matured, but the creative power remains as fierce and bombastic as ever. It’ll take a while to fully appreciate all the layers, especially lyrically, as they slip under the radar because the grooves are more immediate. I’ll be dissecting and dancing to this album for years to come.

Recommended track: How Big Is The Rainbow

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