Singer-songwriter is taking a 'completely different approach from what I've done'
By Chris Nixon
For The Union-Tribune
February 15, 2007
Pete Yorn's good looks and seemingly effortless ability to churn out engaging pop songs often lead people to take the young songwriter for granted.
The New Jersey-bred, Southern California-based musician has sold records (his debut “Musicforthemorningafter” went gold) and gained critical acclaim (Rolling Stone picked him as one of the “Ten to Watch in 2001”), but Yorn hasn't become a household name one would expect he deserves.
Paste magazine editor Josh Jackson called Yorn's 2006 release “Nightcrawler” one of the year's most overlooked albums. If you haven't heard him, you should. If you have, take another listen.
The singer-songwriter, and now rising pop star, just completed a trilogy of albums, marking his early years as a musician: morning (“Musicforthemorningafter” in 2001), day (“Day I Forgot” in 2004) and night (“Nightcrawler” in 2006). As shown throughout all three releases, his true gift lies in crafting perfect mainstream rock tunes.
As the sun sets on this period of Yorn's life, Yorn took a moment to reflect on his line of business before moving on to his next phase.
“To me, it's a loose trilogy,” said Yorn, standing outside a recording studio in Mar Vista on Los Angeles' Westside, where he's recording his fourth album. “I think after finishing touring for 'Day I Forgot' and halfway through putting songs together for 'Nightcrawler,' I realized that I was exploring a lot of the same themes. From a technical standpoint, I recorded all three records in a similar fashion. So, I saw parallels there.”
The 32-year-old songwriter-guitarist-drummer emerged into the music marketplace with “Musicforthemorningafter,” a collection of 15 songs (including the hidden track “A Girl Like You”) filled with earnest love songs and bubblegum hooks.
“The 'Morning' was the innocence, and I hear it: I hear it in my voice and I hear it in the production,” recalled a now older and wiser Yorn. “When I hear that record – which is rare – but when I do go back and listen, it takes me back to an innocent time. I didn't have any notion of what anybody thought of me. People hadn't put labels on me. I was in it by myself and just going for it. The whole 'Night' thing is just a metaphor for a later period in my life.”
While he's only been in the business less than a decade, his career has reached modest heights.
Yorn followed “Morning” with “Day I Forgot,” a strong yet formulaic set of songs. The album earned the RIAA gold certification, leading to touring gigs with R.E.M., Coldplay and the Foo Fighters, a promising start to a young career.
Despite sounding similar to his previous outings, last year's “Nightcrawler” showcased Yorn's ability to crank out radio-friendly pop songs with substance. Honing his sound into a pop sheen with help from Dave Grohl and Natalie Maines (of the Dixie Chicks), any of the album's 14 tracks could have been a radio hit if they had gotten any airplay.
“Nightrawler” made a few “Best Of” lists, but, again, Yorn's abilities were overshadowed by the perception that pretty boys can't be serious artists: “You have to fight to balance out (criticism) and stay pure and focused on what's important to you.”
Today, while he doesn't come out and say it, Yorn hints that he's tired of the same sound and the same process. So, for his fourth album, he's coming at the recording from a different angle.
“It's a completely different approach from what I've done,” said an animated Yorn, energized by his latest work. “Everything is beat-driven, taking things off old obscure records and putting them into the computer and manipulating them. Then taking some of my folkier songs and putting them with the beats. It's creating a really fresh sound. What I'm doing is very different from what I've done in the past.”
Yorn seems to have mastered the three-minute pop song. Now, he's headed for greener pastures, more experimental music and a new day in his career.
“As far as where I am right now, I almost feel like it's a rebirth,” said Yorn. “I went through a phase: (my) mid-20s to early 30s. I'm able to look back on that period and realize this is what it is. And now, you change as a person. I feel like I have an opportunity to create something completely new and fresh.”
Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.
Discography
“Musicforthemorningafter” (2001, Columbia Records): Reached No. 111 in the U.S. charts. Rock-solid debut disc from Yorn established his ability to write sweet pop songs wrapped in rock 'n' roll. The single “Strange Condition” got a leg up from the Farrelly Brothers when they included the song on the “Me, Myself and Irene” soundtrack. Beware: One listen and the single “For Nancy ('Cos It Already Is)” will become a guilty pleasure for even the most jaded hipster. Take my word for it.
“Day I Forgot” (2003, Columbia Records): Reached No. 18 in the U.S. charts. Yorn sidesteps the ubiquitous sophomore slump by sticking to the formula that gave album No. 1 a fan base: short, sharp, shockingly infectious pop songs. But sometimes formulas sound, well, formulaic. The tunes aren't necessarily on par with his first disc, but he manages to assemble a coherent set of ear candies with help from R.E.M.'s Peter Buck.
“Nightcrawler” (2006, Columbia Records): Reached No. 50 in the U.S. charts. The 32-year-old singer-songwriter righted the ship with last year's “Nightcrawler.” Music pundits uttered many “return to form” comments, which are cliché but true in this case. Natalie Maines and Martie Maguire of Dixie Chicks fame lend vocals and fiddles on “The Man.” Like his previous albums, “Nightcrawler” pleasantly slides by without major incident, merging into one long, sweet pop song. The one bump in the road comes in the electronic stomp of “Georgie Boy,” giving fans a glimpse of Yorn's momentum in new directions.
– CHRIS NIXON
