BY JOSEPH DEBELL, OPINION EDITOR
Album cover courtesy of albumoftheyear.org
ALBUM SCORE: 1.5/5 Stars
Stars courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Even though it has its moments, “Yustyna” serves as a reminder that a big budget cannot make up for a lack of emotional depth and conviction.
Alternative pop and synthpop artist, Artemas, returns with his latest project, “Yustyna.” Just five months after his previous project, “Pretty,” his formula remains relatively the same: bold and grimy beats accompanied by lyrics about drugs, women and sex. Many artists from whom Artemas draws inspiration have trodden this path before. The main examples are The Weeknd and Crystal Castles.
While some of the songs on “Yustyna” are snappy, sadly, Artemas proves that those captivating tracks are an exception rather than an expectation.
Main highlights include “Dirty Little Secret” and “Ride me, darling.” Both tracks feature echoing vocals that add a sense of atmosphere to the LP. The soft-rock edge of “You’re Simply Wonderful” is also a much-needed change of pace for the record. However, over half the tracks on this record can be summed up as having cheesy lyrics and grating vocal effects that make Artemas’s vocals clash with the production.
Artemas also tends to overproduce. While the experimentation is commendable, it often feels like an attempt to avoid being a derivative version of The Weeknd.
Most of those experimental moments on the record aren’t daring but overblown and hyperbolic.
Despite the hype, “Yustyna” falls short. It’s a simple album with nothing too catchy or mind-blowing. Even on songs that start well, the songwriting lacks emotional material and becomes tedious quickly. The biggest example of that is in “Good Girl.”
Other songs that feature fulfilling songwriting are spoiled by haphazard mixes on the production end. The biggest example is “Slow Dance.”
The track that went viral, “I Like the Way You Kiss Me,” attempts to blend darkwave and goth rock elements but is weighed down by prideful lyricism that lacks nuance. It’s reminiscent of Nine Inch Nails’ “Closer,” which handles similar themes in a less one-dimensional way. Here, the lyrics are self-aggrandizing, reducing the song to a sex addict’s anthem without substance. The lack of nuance is frustrating, and the musical style doesn’t compensate for the one-dimensional lyrics. To be frank, this track functions as a poor imitation of Mareux’s “The Perfect Girl.”
Generally speaking, if you remove the attempts at experimentation, all Artemas is left with is a meaningless series of facsimiles. Most of the tracks on this record are just worse renditions of better ideas combined with hideous vocal processing.
Favorite track: “Dirty Little Secret”
Underrated track: “You’re Simply Wonderful”
Least favorite track: “Slow Dance”
debelljb22@bonaventure.edu
