Years & Years — Palo Santo (2018) | Album Review
The sophomore effort of UK synthpop band Years & Years isn’t strikingly different from their debut. However, there is enough difference to show improvements in songwriting and production, making Palo Santo a much more enjoyable record.
In July 2015, after their hit single “King” topped the UK Singles chart and peaked within the top ten of the charts across Europe, Years & Years released their debut album Communion. While the singles off the album are all anthemic pop songs, when placed among the 13-song track list (18 in the deluxe version), they seem rote and derivative, especially as tropical house was ubiquitous and started to influence other genres.
Fast forward almost exactly three years later, and we have Palo Santo. In a way, it seems like a reworked version of Communion, with another religion image as the title but this time also permeating the album. Similar to the title, almost every single aspect of Palo Santo reflects on and modify what Communion did. First and most obvious improvement is the length of the album, with the standard version clocking at 36:49 — an appropriate length for such a pop album. The bonus tracks are also what bonus tracks should be —what would have been used as B-sides back at the prime of physical singles; songs that don’t really fit in with the story of the album; or simply enjoyable but don’t offer anything new.
Thematically, Years & Years deals with the same topics they explored on Communion, but this time with more varied production to accompany and reflect the lyrics. Take the lead single “Sanctify,” which shares the same theme with “Worship” and “Desire.” The prominent four-on-the-floor kick drum that is characteristic of house is gone, and in its place are early 2000s R&B elements. Together with this change is a sexier tone that replaces the brightness of tropical house, most distinct in the dark bass line. Rather ironically, this change is probably most noticeable at the beginning of the second verse, where the instruments are dropped. Olly Alexander here is flirtatious but almost confrontational, like a deadly snake with its eyes fixed on the prey. Alexander revealed in an interview that the song is inspired by ‘less than straight encounters’ with guys who identify as straight: “I’m on the other side feeling like both a sinner and saint or a devil and angel, leading this guy down a path of ‘sinfulness’ while, at the same time, helping him explore his sexuality.” This conflict is present in the music: the verse is dark and restraint, with a chord progression that starts with and ends on an C#minor chord with an inverted G#bass that drag the tone down, while the chorus consists almost entirely of major chords. Still, the backing vocals in the chorus keep repeating the same C# note at a lower tone than the rest of the melody, maintaining the dark tone in the verse.
While the late 90s/early 00s influence is eminent, there is more variety in the instrumentation. If “Sanctify” is In the Zone, then “Karma” is 90s R&B, with an uncanny similarity to Lauryn Hill’s “Everything is Everything,” as Cameron Cook of Pitchfork pointed out, and the second single “If You’re Over Me” is almost bubblegum pop. The house elements are still there, with “All For You” and “Rendezvous” re-treading the blueprint in Communion. “Howl” and “Don’t Panic” also sound quite similar to the band’s debut album, which makes it understandable that they are bonus tracks. In “Hallelujah,” the house elements are there, but instead of the brisk and vibrant tropical house, they are decidedly more UK deep house with the metallic sound and the fast tempo. Alexander also trades in his usual falsettos for a belt note at the climax. The only deviation from these references is “Up In Flames,” the closer of the deluxe version with an instantly-recognizable 80s drum pattern. Despite the variation, the songs are strung together quite nicely with the use of the some common instruments and similar layering.
The stripped down songs on the album are also better-executed. The rather half-baked “Eyes Shut” from their debut is reborn as two different tracks. The less fortunate child is “Hypnotized,” which is quite pleasing to the ear but feels meandering and a confusing choice for the first half of the album considering its low level of energy. On the other hand, the title track is a highlight. While “Eyes Shut” has a rather simple and predictable, clichéd even, build-up, “Palo Santo” benefits from a detailed production with more movements and dynamics. The verse is sparing but not bare, matching the spaced out lyrics and melody, picking up the pace as the song progresses and the beats build up.
All in all, Palo Santo shows a band who knows pop and is willing to incorporate different elements while knowing the limits of their ability. Years & Years has evolved past their old self from Communion, and that’s what makes them a promising act with a satisfying sophomore record.
Rating: B+
Essential tracks: “Sanctify”, “Karma”, “Palo Santo”
For detailed grading scale, see here.
