Los Angeles-based artist YUS presents an atmospheric immersion throughout Hyperspiritual, which blends electronic soundscapes with harmonious vocal displays. His fourth full-length embraces a heady array of climactic structural builds and hypnotic mixes — seamlessly meshing pulsing percussion, auto-tuned vocals, and late-night synthesizers.
Serving as a counterpart to YUS’s second album, Talisman, Hyperspiritual thematically emphasizes the relationship between music and spirit. The specific inspiration was a Facebook post from Darragh Nolan (Sacred Animals), which explored a belief that music arises from spirit and returns us to spirit — our original and true form. The album’s cover art aligns with this philosophy as well, being “a thought form that represents sympathy and love for all.”
The project of Belgium-born American artist Youceff Yunque Kabal, YUS makes a consistently strong impression throughout Hyperspiritual. Opening track “Kettle Beat” compels with its climactic rise, weaving in spacey synth envelopment within a sturdy rhythmic assortment of claps and warming bass. Kabal’s vocals emerge with a serene soaring, invoking aspects of soulful pop and chillwave within the nocturnal synth pads. Arp-y synth tones add to the intrigue, firmly establishing the project’s atmospheric chops from the get-go.
“Home” follows with a great sense of urgency. Bouncy percussion and sporadic sirens complement a meditative vocal sampling, emitting an excitable colorfulness into Kabal’s more relaxed vocal lead. “It doesn’t feel quite like what I thought it might,” the introspective vocals let out, building with satiating impact into a decisiveness: “I don’t wanna move forward If it means I have to let you go.” Buzzing synth components emerge infectiously within. Emotive vocal sequences pair with starry-eyed synth elements on various tracks, succeeding especially on “Home.”
Alongside yearning electro-pop pursuits, Hyperspiritual succeeds in eclectic aesthetical charms, as well. “Give Me That” enamors in its island-set engrossment — with shades of Bossa-nova and cumbia combining in the suave vocal stylings and brass-y adornments. “WAYWYN?” moves back into the mellow pop introspection, while “Better Frens” induces ample replays with its title-touting repetition amidst illuminated synth tones.
A captivating finale, “Smoke Rings” melds frolicking acoustic shimmering with electro-minded rhythmic thumps. The structure moves from a thoroughly hypnotic guitar clanging into a more ardent vocal shift in the closing minute, effectively concluding an album that excels in its atmospheric enthrallment and melodic smarts alike. YUS thoroughly succeeds on the invitingly memorable Hyperspiritual.
