This isn’t really a new release, per se.  It’s a collection of songs that were originally released on EPs and singles over the past few years, all of them strangely overlooked during the late-mid aughts despite the singer/guitarist’s Voxtrot pedigree.  As far as I can discern, these songs have been unearthed because the band has decided it wants to make a more serious go of things, touring nationally with Woods last summer and subsequently signing with Panache (booking) and Wild World (label).

But you know, if Mission of Burma, Polvo, and all the rest have taught us anything, it’s that there ARE second acts in showbiz, and YellowFever (one word, apparently) fully deserve theirs.

Mostly the tunes here are carried by their bassline, loping slowly through harmonized vocals that remind me of early Helium sans Tolkein imagery.  The vocals are a pleasure, beautifully enunciated, precise, and crystalline, and the musical parts are arranged to similar effect.  Despite the Vivian Girls’ imprimatur, there is none of the washed out sound so much in vogue with bands like Dum Dum Girls, Frankie and the Outs, et al.  In a world where bands are polarized between hardcore Fucked Up rants and Real Estate beach-core, YellowFever provides a welcome antidote–not a middle ground so much as a completely different musical vision.

Indeed, there’s every reason to celebrate this quasi-re-release; besides the merits of YellowFever’s individual songs, there’s a self-assurance and subtlety to the band that comes across best in large doses, and they make more of an impact on this EP than they could in their earlier, bitesized releases.  Stream a few of the best tracks here.

• HellfireHellfire
• Culver CityCulver City
• RatcatcherRatcatcher