ysbm.

I can’t say I’ve ever been to an art auction/gig before. To be honest, I hadn’t intended to go to either. My plans for last night included some Mexican food, and a couple of quiet cocktails with friends in time to make the last bus out of town. But in addition to the above, I also got to see Colchester duo YSBM playing in one of the town’s quirkier venues – The Waiting Room.

Following the confusion that came from walking into an art auction, YSBM were a welcome surprise. They managed to completely change the atmosphere of the venue from noisy meeting place to chilled out cool by the middle of their first track. Whilst most people may not have been there to see them, it was hard to not get distracted by their set.

There’s an obvious xx parallel to be made, particularly in the understated vocal and guitar style. YSBM display a level of skill and maturity that can sometimes be missing in bands so early in their careers. The pair created a beautiful, ambient sound with understated layering and just the right amount of vocal echo.
With the overwhelming increase in popularity of intelligent indie/electronica bands like London Grammar, James Blake, Poliça, the xx and (to some extent) Foals (think more Spanish Sahara, less Inhaler) there definitely seems to be a place for YSBM’s brand of atmospheric electronica.

Their first EP, Years Bloom, was released in October 2013, but with mentions of new material last night it seems that there may be another release to look forward to. In the meantime, I would definitely recommend going to see them – they’ve played a number of London gigs recently, so hopefully there’ll be some more soon.

Visit their Bandcamp page here.
Have a listen on their SoundCloud page here.