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Yeek’s Blackheart Tour Should Be Anything But ‘Slept On’

Combining emotional turmoil, hip hop cadence and soft melodies doesn’t work for everyone, but it’s absolutely synergistic for Los Angeles singer-songwriter Yeek. The 26-year-old’s newest Blackheart EP swings an emotional pendulum between not giving a fuck, and giving too many while mixing synths, brooding vocals and pumping beats.

The 5-song EP kicks off with a wavy, head-bobbing track titled “Love & Fame.” Here, Yeek weaves a funky bass and drum combo into a catchy, yet candid, chorus about growing tired of waiting on love and recognition.

Ironically, sometimes you want love but can’t give it. In “Alive,” Yeek expresses his ambivalence in approaching serious relationships with a simple 4/4 piano melody, ladened with minor chords, offsetting the sharp, hard-stopped verses.

“Slept On” is another standout track. The softly soulful, warm vocals of the featured Robin Dalyan twirl around Yeek’s deep voice, mirroring his melancholic sentiment of being under appreciated by a lover. The chorus, “I’m slept on, I’m slept on, I’m slept on / I can treat you so good baby / You’re making me feel crazy,” embodies the heartbreak and frustration of not getting the love you desire while your muse gives it to someone undeserving.

Yeek’s Blackheart EP is only a peek into the artist’s work.

Citing Mos Def, The Cure and Saves the Day as musical influences, Yeek’s eclectic sound often includes hip-hop, post-punk and emo derivatives. Consequently, the artist’s repertoire seems to have a song for everyone

“Shake” off 2017’s Sebastian LP captures an indie punk feel with winding guitars, simple drums and passive yet defiant lyrics: “When your heart’s black / It’s easy / To live fast.”

“I’m Not Ready” from Yeek’s debut album, Love Slacker, is a breezy and playful tune that manages to align two seemingly opposite things: booty shaking and emo bands. “Never seen a girl twerk to Fall Out Boy / She a lonely girl with all them toys / Never seen a girl twerk to Dashboard / Confessional: I wanna see that ass more,” he sings.

Yeek will be doing a three-day Noise Pop show stint on his Blackheart Tour, kicking off at Cafe Du Nord in San Francisco on June 6, followed by Santa Cruz’s The Crepe Place on June 7, and wrapping up with Momo Sacramento on June 8.

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