157. THE OVERLOAD by Yard Act

I won't pretend to understand all the scathing post-Brexit criticisms percolating throughout this 2022 record by these four guys from Leeds, but when I first listened to their post punk debut, what immediately caught my attention was the sound - the thick British accent, the driving rhythms and ever present guitar. I kept feeling like I've heard a band like this before, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Then, maybe two days later it dawned on me - the spoken vocals, the rhythms, the guitar - Cake! Though my comparison may be a bit off kilter, listen to almost any song here and then listen to 'Short Skirt / Long Jacket' and tell me you don't hear a bit of Cake in Yard Act (minus the Yorkshire inflections of course). Comparisons and/or influences that have been mentioned include those original Brit-poppers Pulp (previously covered here) and The Arctic Monkeys. So, with that introduction, what tracks should you check out? I'd get the "party" started with 'Pour Another' and then circle back to the opening/title track, 'The Overload,' with its frenetic pace. Then slow things down and listen to the story being told in 'Tall Poppies.' Finally, finish off with 'The Incident' and the closing refrain - "I'm irrelevant, I'm irrelevant, I'm irrelevant..."