California-based trio Yellow Red Sparks produce soaring folk-pop led by dramatic strings and infectious guitar stylings, ranging from traditional folk acoustics to electric intensity. A variety of guitars are employed on the joyous “My Machine Gun”, where a vibrant electric lead establishes authority against a firm acoustic backbone. When the guitars pull back in the final minute, listeners are exposed to a jazz-inspired bass and percussion lead that breathes diverse life into the track. Clever songwriting twists like these are common on Yellow Red Sparks’ self-titled debut album, which was released in January. On the album’s more dramatic end, “A Buffalo” is one of the most elegant yet somber efforts on there. Making outstanding use of cinematic strings and utilizing his soaring whimpering of a voice, head songwriter Joshua Hanson conjures a sound akin to the dramatic folk-pop of Bright Eyes and Deer Tick, but with even more orchestral ambition. Yellow Red Sparks are clearly aiming high, and their self-titled debut is a warm welcome. See them live tonight (Friday) at Union Hall in Brooklyn, or on Saturday at The All Asia in Cambridge, MA.
