Cayucas Release Vibrant, Dancey New Singles “Jessica WJ” and “Skeleton Coast”

The Galley
Aug 31, 2018 · 2 min read

Cayucas — Jessica WJ

I’m experiencing just about every emotion listening to this new Cayucas track and sharing it. This may too bold a claim but I can’t find any releases, or write-ups or the songs themselves anywhere else so I think…am I the first to share this? Is this a premiere? Who knows.

But. Cayucas has released two new songs this morning! And what a treat they are. The California band has not released anything new since their 2015 sophomore LP Dancing At The Blue Lagoon and have been teasing photos of them in the studio for quite a while so it was only a matter of time for more deliciously summery music was released. I just didn’t expect it to sneak up on me quite like this.

I’ve always associated this group as a quintessential summer band and though the summer is beginning to wind to a close here going into Labor Day weekend you can bet I’ll be picking back up my Cayucas albums and blasting them on repeat for the next month.

“Jessica WJ” is the leading single with b side “Skeleton Coast” and both tracks mark a notable change in production style from Zach Yudin and Co. The dreamy 60s style surf-pop is still front and center but with a much more electronic and modern approach. Yudin’s melodies this time are much more succinct instead of extending and flowing through multiple lines and composition structures. We’re treated to fuzzy guitars and vocal filters for the first time in the Cayucas’ sonic lexicon.

This is certainly the tightest the band has sounded. “Jessica WJ” is a laidback but highly danceable groove and long time fans might recognize a reworking of the “Deep Sea” lyrics and melody. It stays upright thanks to its clattering percussion and quick verse/chorus tradeoff.

“Skeleton Coast” is the most experimental Cayucas has been. Their classic west-coast sound is clearly defined but lays underneath the myriad of distortion and almost psychedelic influences. Yudin has long-cited The Tornadoes as an influence for Cayucas and that has never been more obvious. The chorus is sharp and quick and the whole song feels like it’d be perfect for zipping through coastal towns with the top down only to end up in some 60s Hairspray-esque diner dance party.

Whatever these two news songs mean is still a mystery since the band’s official profiles haven’t even posted about them at the time of writing, but I can only assume it means a new album is on the way so enjoy these songs and get excited for your summery grooves to extend through the fall!

Listen to Jessica WJ below:

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