Yak's Plastic People EP is as ebullient and provocative as its artwork

For the cover of their Plastic People EP, they’ve enlisted their friend, the renowned artist Nick Waplington to tell the graphic story. Psychedelic, energetic and with a hint of danger, the image tells you all you need to know about what you’re about to hear.

Having introduced themselves with the mighty statement of intent that was their debut single “Hungry Heart”, and with a burgeoning reputation as the live band to watch at this year’s festivals, Yak’s backstory is quite a tale. Dissatisfied with being an antique furniture seller, two of singer Oli Burslem’s customers, Thurston Moore and Jason Pierce no less, encouraged him to form a band - and so, Yak were born.

”Plastic People” starts with a tight-as-you-like guitar riff and has an undercurrent of Spacemen 3’s “Revolution”, but it doesn’t limit itself to drone; the chorus is suitably rock and roll, with Burslem’s snarled vocal on of “How I can I breathe when you’re right next to me?” giving way to a psychedelic wigout.

“Smile”, which is more Tindersticks than The Stooges, starts with Burslem crooning his way in accompanied by a lovely tremolo guitar, but then leaps into a psych-out, the change of pace in which is thrilling. It also matches Nick Cave’s ability to make a wedding song sound like a funeral march. The last song “Distortion” is panoramic spacerock and possesses a melody that mixes The Velvet Underground’s “Waiting For The Man” and The Monkees “Porpoise Song” from their bonkers film soundtrack Head.

The Plastic People EP is as ebullient and provocative as its artwork, and a beguiling introduction to a band who are far from the gutter, but shooting for the stars.