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I ate your microphone review 1
Yellow #5
"Demon Crossing"
Straight from the desert and laden with character.
Composed and performed by Molly McGuire, who has risen to notority in recent years with cameos on albums from the likes of Queens Of The Stone Age and Mondo Generator, and featuring the percussive expertise of Brant Bjork (Fu Manchu, Kyuss etc.) with guitar work contributed by Dave Catching of earthlings? fame, Yellow #5's "Demon Crossing" captures a unique spirit within its criminally laid back framework.
A sultry, country-tinged vibe is unfolded throughout the album as the varied song arrangements casually take shape. McGuire's nonchalent vocal approach finds her swooping breezily through her words as they are outputted in a breathy, husky, and above all infectious manner. Bluesy string-bending and quirky, off-centre beats meanwhile combine with swing, jazz, and other alternative rhythms, while the traditional instruments at hand fashion a nostalgic, hazy feel. Fifteen tracks are showcased here and each is imbued with the sassy character of this "Irish Catholic French Canadian Fightin' Bitchin' Machine" while serving up constantly changing moods.
Said to have been conceived in an attempt to recreate the atmosphere invoked by the Circle Bar in New Orleans, "Demon Crossing" is an artistic statement which works on almost every level. It's an intensely likeable album, and perhaps the most compelling facet of this release is that it can appeal to most anyone prepared to give it a chance. Yellow #5 possess an abundance of talent and even more singularity, but above all they've crafted an exceptional release which stands apart from pretty much everything else out there today.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 microphones
- Chris (April 05, 2005)
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online music magazine and proponent of proper booth plurality
Yellow #5 -"Demon Crossing"(Scat)
Yellow #5 comes with quite a pedigree. The members of the band have played with or contributed to albums by *inhales* Mondo Generator, earthlings?, Mark Lanegan, Queens of the Stone Age, Eagles of Death Metal, Twilight Singers and Martina Topley-Baird *exhales*. Given these associations, one could be forgiven for making the assumption that Yellow #5 would sound like one or more of the acts mentioned above. That assumption would be wrong. With the exception of the rocking “Moon Man”, the band play smooth, dark, almost loungy (in a good way) pop. (“Pop” in the sense that the songs are accessible, not in the artificial, mass-produced sense.) The music is anchored by bassist/vocalist Molly McGuire’s husky, sultry voice – she has one of those voices that turn otherwise sensible men into fawning saps – and Dave Catching’s dead on guitar playing, it’s no accident that Catching ends up on just about every record made by the Palm Desert crew.
Rating: 8 out of 10
Neddal Ayad
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Yellow #5 – Demon Crossing
Review by John Pegoraro (StonerRock.com)
Molly McGuire, last seen in a nurse’s outfit and playing bass for Mondo Generator, fronts this Los Angeles by way of New Orleans three-piece. Backing her is fellow Mondo alumni and earthlings? member Dave Catching and Brant Bjork (with Kyuss’ Gene Trautmann as the touring drummer). Given the resumes of those involved – and this isn’t even including guests like Chris Goss – and it’s no surprise that Demon Crossing is a hell of an album.
At the base of Demon Crossing is a New Orleans flavor. It’s been said that the album was the result of a desire to match the vibe of the city’s Circle Bar, and while I’ve been to the place, Demon Crossing certainly makes me feel like I have. With McGuire’s smoke tinged, sultry vocals and the stripped down, coolly casual arrangements, it has a distinct ambience. And that includes the City of Lost Children opening track. With songs like “Auto Pilot” and “Lust,” you can picture the band playing in a smoky bar, with a couple of ceiling fans lazily spinning, sitting the humid air around.
Of the 15 tracks, I’d go with “Moon Man” as the favorite. It’s close to Sunrise on the Sufferbus Masters of Reality in style. Other notables are the aforementioned “Auto Pilot,” the quirky “ICFCFBM,” “Wine Spo-dee-o-dee,” and the downright sexy “Deviant Angel” (a close second to “Moon Man”).
Demon Crossing is a sensual album, and a pleasure to listen to. Recommended for fans of the Dessert Sessions, Brant Bjork, Masters of Reality, and Concrete Blonde.
