Photo Credit: Ryan McCardle & Aidan Koch
Technology united the four friends of New Zealand’s Yumi Zouma in their early beginnings. Their debut EP came together over email and file sharing, and was received with indie acclaim across the blogosphere. Four-and-a-half years later, the band closes a chapter of their career with the release of the final installment of their EP trilogy, EP III, this Friday; you can pre-order it today on Cascine.
Arguably, their entire discography up until this point could be considered an united era, bookended by the EPs. But this version of their history ignores their two LPs that came before Friday’s release. 2016’s Yoncalla was their debut full-length, followed up the next year with Willowbank; both advanced their nu-disco grooves into new territories, and more importantly into the ears of new fans. Their sophomore LP was a particular departure, leaning more on indie pop instrumentation to complement shoegaze melodies.
EP III is feels like a smooth dive into welcoming waters. Cool shadows appear in echoing rhythms, making for a great summer record for those in the southern hemisphere, though its sultry synth accents are not bound to any one season. They embrace their disco origins on their single “Crush (It’s Late, Just Stay)” with twinkling guitars and commanding keys, while they continue to refine their indie pop sensibilities on the EP opener, “Powder Blue / Cascine Park.”
You can catch Yumi Zouma at Zebulon on October 6th, supported by Sarah Chernoff; grab your tickets here. Follow the band on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
