I knew right away that I liked “Forgotten,” the 2022 LP from former surfer / boarder and French grunge guitarist YGGL. What’s been taking longer is figuring out how to write about it.
Yrwan Garcia Léal is an adventurer and performer. He’s got plenty online about his years as a surfer and snowboarder. He’s also released previous guitar-driven LP’s.
His single “Shame” is a swirling wonder of noise, nostalgia and hypnotic melody. It made me search for how guitars make that grunge sound. I sort of knew, but wanted back-up.
The video to “Shame” was posted in late September.
In Grunge lore angst is an emotion written in sacred scripture. But fake it at your own peril. So is this honest stuff?
YGGL was around 4 years old when Grunge hit (1991.) Clearly he grew up with it as a major inspiration (He lists Nirvana, David Bowie and Madonna.)
He has gone on to live what some might see as a ‘dream life.’ Imagine being French, a surfer, then snowboarder, all the while honing your guitar skills, sometimes also providing the sountracks for your own surf and board videos. Yes, Yrwan even has a Cobain “look” in some photos.
Who knows what inner battles we all face? Perhaps music reveals them here.
Yrwan Garcia Léal seems sincere to me. He plays well. The songs don’t overstay their welcome. He’s living his best life, so maybe grunge grounds him.
I like the LP. I hear light and hope in a place I never thought to look for it. It resonates as battle-weary but forward-looking.
But back to “Shame.” I can’t get enough of it. It arrives at track #6 on “Forgotten.” It contains sounds and themes introduced earlier. But they all come together with this tune. “Shame, sha-la-la-la-la,” TGGL voices out in front of wailing guitar work. It’s one of the most realized soundscapes of 2022.
LINK: https://yggl.bandcamp.com/album/forgotten
UNCLE EARS is a music blog written by David Falk. davidrfalk@gmail.com David was born in 1962 and gravitates towards melodies, adventure, unsigned artists, fresh discoveries. He trusts his ear to know what it likes and loves sharing what he finds. He lives near Seattle, WA, USA.
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