Illusions Of Everyday by Yellowhouse

USA, March 2004)

They come from Germany but have little of german, these Yellowhouse, judging from the cosmopolite name and the international sound. The three piece gives us, indeed, thirteen sparkling, harmonious, pompous songs, but in the most classic English rock style. Then we pass from exciting rock situations, as in the case of the opener "Red Light Diamond" (divided into three subchapters) to prolix instrumental digressions which are even too dilated, as in the final "Leaving Too Late", well orchestrated between enjoyable manly melodies and elegant monologues of every musician. Truly rocking the construction of the guitar riffing, that not only enriches the songs of strong power grooves, but also supplies us with a wide and rich repertoire of solos and adornments winking the glorious seventies. That strongly comes out in the storming "Ahead of Our Time", from the martial blues-walking, while at fantasy songwriting level we prefer rather short tracks like "Sacred Feelings" and "Nobody Needs You". The starting acoustic arpeggios of "The Silent Screaming" make us think of the wide presence of Cat Stevens or James Taylor, but it's just a while, since in the remaining six minutes Yellowhouse immediately put out a solid electric riff that immediately shuts up every softness. To appreciate the continuous alternance among ballads like "Land of Lightning" and electric explosions in the style of "What Goes On", this latest one followed by "Babylon", supported song by a syncopated rhythm, by a concrete bass riff and a fitting choir...

(Silent Scream Zine, Italy, October 2004)

GENERAL INFO:

Yellowhouse plays original material only, guitar-orientated melodic rock with lyrics in English, spiced up with good hooklines with seventies roots in a Y2K approach. The band recorded their debut CD "What´s Shining Through" (MMN 002), that contained newer songs like "Return To The Sky", "Now You're Gone", "Mrs Gentle" and "Hollywood Cell", which are straighter and more melodic than their previous output "Living In The Light". The second CD "Illusions Of Everyday" is a mayor step forward and arguably their best so far.

Yellowhouse's live set consists of old and new original songs: "Silver Shadow" is a song about teenage fan-mania, while "Red Light Diamond" is about those women, who only have an interest in men's cash, a rock song about how to snare a millionaire. "Mrs. Gentle" is dedicated to the guitarist's late great-aunt; "Burn, Learn & Turn" is about keeping time in any learning process, "Evolution" describes the process of getting established and the tendency to petty bourgeoisie. "Fair Share Of Nothing" is dedicated to all the unscrupulous managers, agents and record companies in the music biz, who try to give the artist that kind of share, while "Damnation" also addresses the dangers in the music biz.

"What´s Shining Through" is about the veil between the artist and his audience. "Ain´t No Cure (for a messed up youth)" speaks about the problems of youth, caused by insitutional red tape, that keep holding you back. Institutional danger is also the topic of "Between The Wheels", while "For Ever" is generally a song of hope, a song for everybody, which might remain a vision to some people. "Diana" is fictional, it certainly has nothing to do with the princess, the same goes for "Return To The Sky", a science-fiction type song about an angel, who, while visiting Earth, gets to see both sides of the social dichotomy: the one of the rich folks and the one of the poor; after experiencing both sides, he decides to say, "Goodbye, Planet Earth." Another sci-fi epos is "Land Of Lightning" which is about the surviving few after a catastrophe in search of a better world.

"Ahead Of Our Time" is about the dangers of being one step ahead. "Babylon", "Now You´re Gone" and "Sweet Empty Life" really don´t need explanations...

"Signs" is about the habilty someone´s got to have to interpret certain signs in the right way. "Sacred Feelings" is telling you, that your own ambitions are strung up by the powers that be, while the message of "The Silent Screaming" is to follow your very own inner voices.

"Nobody Needs You" is a very positive attitude song, contrary to what its title may suggest at the first glace: self reliance is the way at the end of the day, get rid of people that keep on riding your back once for all, before it´s too late... "Leaving Too Late" could be a extension of this song in a way... and "What Goes On" is about the most beautiful thing in life to happen again after a self imposed exile...

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