Atwood Journal’s writers ponder the grandeur of Nilüfer Yanya’s stellar third album, ‘My Methodology Actor,’ an intricate, mature, and, at occasions, heartbreaking listening expertise.
Featured listed below are Atwood writers Jake Fewx, Kendall Graham, and Kevin Price!
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To start out, what’s your relationship with Nilüfer Yanya’s music?
Jake Fewx: I first heard of her again in 2019 when Miss Universe got here out the place Yanya’s distinctive sound and pure musicianship floored me on first pay attention. Not solely is the instrumental palette of that album extremely modern, however Yanya’s songwriting is nuanced and stuffed with care. Her aesthetic is extremely fluid and stands tall in its personal lane – it’s arduous to search out one thing to dislike. Suffice to say, it didn’t take lengthy for me to grow to be a fan!
Kendall Graham: I had saved a number of of the songs from Miss Universe, her first album, in one in every of my playlists of ladies in indie rock, though I don’t take heed to the playlist that a lot nowadays, however I actually get pleasure from “Paralysed” and “In Your Head” from that album. I actually appreciated that she was doing rock and various music and including in these jazzy influences, and I cherished experiencing each a grittiness and a smoothness from the mix of her vocals and the music. To me, she has a extremely distinctive voice, not solely the tone of it, however in her cadence and the way in which she pronounces phrases. It’s a little bit bit hypnotic, and typically arduous to decipher, which makes her music all of the extra fascinating to me.
Kevin Price: It’s fuzzy, however I keep in mind “Soften” off her first album, Miss Universe, shuffled onto some playlist that was algorithmically curated for me, and it precipitated my eyebrow to boost a number of millimeters. It was not till her 2022 launch, Painless, that I took the leap and dove straight into her discography and her unmatched songwriting abilities that enamored me into the massive fan I’m in the present day.
What are your preliminary impressions and reactions to My Methodology Actor?
Jake: On first pay attention, it actually took me a monitor or three to regulate to My Methodology Actor’s darker sound, however as soon as the album hit “Binding” I had utterly purchased in. Yanya continues her streak of glorious instrumental preparations alongside her mystifying vocal supply, however I like how she manages to develop her sound palette on this new album. I’ll say, after a number of listens to the album, I’m not wholly impressed with the songwriting. Songs like “Preserve On Dancing” and “Like I Say” are glorious examples of an incredible Nilüfer Yanya type track, however are reasonably fleeting in composition. Longer songs like “Only a Western” overstay their welcome a bit, making the album really feel a bit unbalanced to me. In all, the nice moments outshine the weaker, leading to one other nice listening expertise from Nilüfer Yanya.
Kendall: As a result of I’d solely had the expertise of listening to a extra rock-oriented Nilüfer Yanya, I used to be fairly shocked on the primary take heed to My Methodology Actor. It was a lot mellower and slower. I’m glad I gave it the prospect to develop on me, although. It is a beautiful, beautiful album stuffed with jazzy inflection and folk-y introspection. It’s nonetheless guitar-based, however not essentially rock music within the vein of Miss Universe or PAINLESS. It appears good for a nighttime drive, or enjoyable and lounging inside on a chilly evening. “Cozy” is a phrase that saved coming to thoughts when attempting to sum this album up within the least quantity of phrases potential. There’s one thing distinctive in her mixture of style kinds and components that I don’t actually see different musicians doing in addition to she does.
Kevin: It flows effortlessly inside her discography, however feels a bit extra mellowed out in comparison with her earlier releases, in a great way. Usually, coming into her albums, you anticipate some soul-crushing lyrics and heavy guitar riffs that bear huge weight (don’t get my fallacious, there are a few of these moments on this album) but, it looks as if this album is supposed for a extra severe pay attention. Every monitor is crafted in the direction of the subsequent that it’s nearly like she created this album to be performed entrance to again, with none shuffles or random monitor choice.
How does this album examine to previous albums like PAINLESS and Miss Universe – what are probably the most placing similarities or variations?
Jake: To me, My Methodology Actor is sort of a bit extra dramatic than Yanya’s earlier work in sound and in tone (Drama. ‘Methodology Actor’. It makes a ton of sense, proper…). Her gentle, extremely rhythmic sound remains to be current, however Yanya well expands her instrumentation in a approach that makes the album really feel extra dynamic than her earlier, laid again aesthetic. Stellar vocal harmonies, punchy percussion, and distorted rock guitar add a a lot wanted dimension and depth to the music and show Yanya’s development as an artist. There’s one thing uncooked on this newfound edge which I like fairly a bit.
Slower songs like “Binding” exhibit an evocative ingredient in Yanya’s singing which I feel pushes the ground of the music’s emotional vary and matches the album’s aesthetic very well. As if Nilüfer Yanya wasn’t already adventurous, this new album succeeds to find new methods to develop her songwriting, and the music is all of the extra thrilling for it!
Kendall: Essentially the most placing distinction to me between these two albums and My Methodology Actor is the manufacturing and instrumental decisions, and the general “vibe.” It’s a lot calmer and feels extra reflective than her earlier initiatives. I feel her decisions make the music very intricate, and I wound up listening to issues upon subsequent listens that I didn’t discover the primary time.
I undoubtedly agree with Jake on the heightened drama of this album, which feels purposeful, particularly within the “wink” of the title. One thing I seen, although, and was lacking, was the shortage of interludes on this album. To me, that’s what made Miss Universe actually intriguing, having these little breaks in between songs that have been nearly satirical skits giving much more perception into her world. I feel that might have labored to nice impact right here and lent much more drama to this album.
Kevin: It’s arduous to state this as a extra private method from her earlier releases as a result of her songwriting is all the time very open-hearted and tends to hit the core of tender sensations, however My Methodology Actor could possibly be coined as her “unplugged” launch, despite the fact that there are some loud-as-hell moments you want to flip the quantity up for. Whereas it seems like this was the lacking puzzle piece in her discography, it stands out in numerous methods in comparison with her earlier releases with maturity and grandeur.
Nilüfer Yanya teased My Methodology Actor with “Only a Western,” “Mutations,” and “Name It Love.” Are these singles trustworthy representations of the album?
Jake: Completely! A whole lot of the wordplay on the album makes use of a kind of concrete physicality which is extremely evocative; I feel these singles are an incredible instance of that. Like I discussed earlier, “Mutations” portrays Yanya’s extra dramatic qualities by pushing the softer limits of her sound – I adore it however want approach extra of these beautiful strings!
This track’s lyrics seize the album’s evocative tendencies as effectively. Yanya will get a variety of mileage out of a collection of incomplete sentences within the verses of the track – It’s very Mitski. Traces like “Each us black and blue” and “I’m unchained resistance / unashamed your vicious”, as cliche as it’s, say an entire lot with an entire little; Yanya will get straight to the purpose and paints a tangible, overtly bodily emotion which convey a relatable feeling.
“Name It Love” makes use of an identical method to explain heartbreak which is equal components stunning and climactic – Yanya doesn’t want a lot to stab you within the coronary heart!
Kendall: I’d say that sure, these three singles signify the type of music and themes on this album.
Once more, I agree with Jake about Yanya’s penchant for incomplete sentences. To me, she poses a variety of questions and leaves them hanging within the air. The lyrics to “Simply A Western” are very dense, they inform a complicated story. It’s received the type of guitar and mushy percussion that lend themselves to the texture of a Western movie. Lyrics portray half-pictures that the listener can fill in themselves. She affords one thing to us but additionally retains us a little bit at arm’s size, shrouded in a frivolously mystic veil. This isn’t music that, to me, might be absolutely understood or appreciated with only one pay attention. The composition of the songs requires that you simply return to it to uncover one thing that wasn’t beforehand obvious.
“Mutations” is my favourite track on this album. It’s so fairly, and it stretches into the territories of jazz and neo-soul. I like the drums, the vocals and, despite the fact that I nonetheless discover them a bit mystifying, the lyrics. They’re type of threadbare right here, and that brings up a variety of questions, however I feel it may be actually enjoyable when a track does that.
Kevin: Humorous sufficient, the teaser, which I keep in mind as the primary single I heard, was “Like I Say (I runaway),” and it was a second of satisfaction understanding she was about to drop her subsequent report while nonetheless honing in on her iconic fuzzy guitar and effervescent vocals. “Mutations” was the subsequent launch I allowed myself to dabble in earlier than the official launch, and it couldn’t match extra completely to the sound she aimed for whereas assembling this album.
My Methodology Actor has been billed as an album that asks questions with no straightforward solutions – “Who’re we? Why can we comply with the paths we comply with? What’s on the coronary heart of all of it?” Does this description seize the spirit of those songs, and the place do you hear or really feel it most?
Jake: Sure, I feel this sentiment matches the vibe of the album. I hear it most in songs like “Name It Love” the place Yanya is questioning the preconceptions of being in love. A relationship shouldn’t be all coronary heart eyes and giggles and I feel Yanya does an incredible job questioning the very sentiment of connection and if the unfavourable emotions that stem from a poor relationship are even value it. Why comply with that path if it isn’t going to end in happiness?
Kendall: I hear this sentiment the strongest, or it stood out to me probably the most, on “Binding.” I feel it’s an fascinating juxtaposition as a result of binding one thing, or binding your self to one thing, is an enmeshment. You combine a part of your self to this different factor, and sooner or later the query of “Who am I?” has to return up. On this track, I hear Yanya battling a connection that has soured and grow to be scornful, and it sounds prefer it’s inflicting her to look at not solely the which means of the connection itself however of regarding folks normally. Agreeing right here once more with Jake about her doing an incredible job questioning the character and sentiment of her connections.
Kevin: All through her discography, Yanya repeatedly asks these bitter questions, and it’s as much as the listener to resolve find out how to course of or discover the reply. On My Methodology Actor, she wastes no time expressing these ideas, particularly with the opening lyrics to the report: “What you in search of? Shut up and lift your glass should you’re unsure.” It units the temper within the sincerest approach whereas permitting a number of open pockets of interpretation to conjure your reply, even when it isn’t straightforward.
Which track(s) stand out for you on the album, and why?
Jake: I LOVE “Wingspan” as a more in-depth for the album. It’s aesthetic could be very muted which properly contrasts the darker tone of the album previous it. Slower moments like “Prepared for Solar (contact)” and “Binding” stick out as ‘ballads that aren’t actually ballads’, actually slowing down the tempo of the album by making you take heed to what Nilüfer has to say. “Like I Say” has perhaps my favourite instrumental palette on the album. The refrain is tremendous catchy however the rock guitars are merely electrifying – I want there have been extra of it throughout the album!
Kendall: First off, I like the strings in “Religion’s Late,” they’re so ethereal and heart-achingly stunning. This track additionally has a few of my favourite lyrics from Yanya on this album. I additionally love listening to songs about musicians’ relationships to religion, as a result of it’s one thing to which I relate very strongly.
Rapidly revisiting what I used to be saying about “Mutations” and its neo-soul association. I’ve truly been listening to this track on repeat because the album got here out. The title actually makes me suppose… Is she speaking about mutations that have to happen so as to transfer this relationship ahead? Did the mutations already happen, as a direct results of the course of this relationship?
I additionally actually love the entire vibe of “Binding.” The lyrics are type of piecemeal, a little bit fragmented, nevertheless it matches the music which, to agree with Jake once more, is a ballad that’s probably not a ballad. It’s type of hypnotic and one thing I can’t actually put my finger all the way in which on.
Kevin: “Binding” is a serious standout on this report. Its tonal path feels very relaxed, however Yanya naturally creates a melancholic world. Refined guitar riffs go a good distance on this report to solidify the emotional physique of her songwriting. Although the track feels much less intense than the songs earlier than, it transitions completely into the stellar “Mutations,” which has the power to choose you again up into the listening expertise of the report.
I in all probability take heed to “Like I Say (I runaway)” as soon as per week as a result of that drop into the distorted, fuzzy mess of guitar in the course of the refrain is like pouring sizzling honey immediately into my cranium – pure gold.
Do you’ve any favourite lyrics to this point? Which traces stand out?
Jake: I discussed “Name It Love” earlier, however dang is it nice! Yanya doesn’t use a large number of lyrics to get her message throughout, however she makes use of the small quantity of phrases current to offer the music a speedy sense of path. The textual content portray on traces like “Caught in a rip / caught in a wave”, “ship me up”, and “caught in an online” really feel like movement traces in a comic book panel that rip the listener round on Yanya’s emotional curler coaster.
The smaller lyrical writing makes phrases like “crave”, “ashes”, and “wave” have a stronger which means throughout the context of the track as effectively. Particularly on the repetition within the refrain: “Nonetheless earlier than life! / Nonetheless Ironic / Nonetheless I need it / Nonetheless alone” – so good!
The wordplay on “Prepared for Solar” is actually glorious as effectively. The closing sequence of the track, “I suppose I actually wished to fill that void / However by no means actually wished it to final”, as soon as once more, makes use of sturdy language and intelligent dichotomy so as to add depth to Yanya’s emotional context. The extra I dive into the lyrics the extra I fall in love with!
Kendall: These lyrics from “Religion’s Late” are amongst my favorites on the album: “I really feel disgrace the fashionable approach / And I worry destiny is sure to interrupt / I really feel caged and much away / I worry religion is born too late.”
That is very sturdy lyrical imagery. It makes these intangible matters really feel extra tangible and concrete, like one thing I may truly maintain in my arms and study. What’s occurred in Yanya’s life that she fears it’s too late for religion to reach? The “fashionable approach” of feeling disgrace can also be tremendous fascinating to me as a result of I actually can’t put my finger on what she means by that. I feel I’ve been liking the lyrical content material on this album as a result of it begs so many questions in my thoughts and retains me pondering.
Kevin: The foremost standout for me is on “Binding” when she sings, “Drive all evening, that inexperienced gentle will get weaker and weaker. So come on and really feel this, I’m hardly right here both. One push and my wheels give, amnesia, amnesia.” What a darkish, darkish lyric, but holds reality to everything of the track that in itself feels just like the end-of-it-all after enduring probably the most heartbreaking expertise you possibly can think about.
The place do you are feeling My Methodology Actor sits within the pantheon of Nilüfer Yanya’s discography?
Jake: Nilüfer Yanya is 3 for 3 in my e book so it’s actually arduous to rank her work. I feel I would like to take a seat with My Methodology Actor some time longer to make a definitive assertion as a result of I can see Nilüfer Yanya’s discography being one which has a brand new favourite relying on the time and place. The way forward for Nilüfer Yanya is extraordinarily vivid!
Kendall: I’d say that My Methodology Actor in all probability tops the listing of Yanya’s albums at this level. Perhaps it’s as a result of it’s the one I’m most acquainted with at this level, however I additionally prefer it a lot as a result of it’s musically a little bit of a departure from Miss Universe and PAINLESS. It feels extra soulful, a little bit calmer and extra put-together. I’ll say, nonetheless, that it solely tops the listing by a fraction as a result of I do actually like PAINLESS so much, too. I feel they’re the 2 finest sides of the identical coin in Yanya’s discography.
Kevin: On this ever-expanding, complicated, and, to say the least, various world of music, Nilüfer Yanya is an unmatched and distinct voice. Her songwriting tends to get higher and higher with each launch, and he or she continues to shock me with any rendition she throws onto the report. This album is simply one other “nailed it” second for me in her discography.
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Watch: “Methodology Actor” – Nilüfer Yanya
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© Molly Daniels
My Methodology Actor
an album by Nilüfer Yanya