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I always prefer to talk about the music itself when I write rather than the back story, but in this case, I will make an exception. Why? Because the backstory is so incredible. You can tell by the polysemous nature of the album title that YOYOKA is young, but her making an album of this caliber while she is still in her teens is only part of the story.
She has been drumming since the age of one, joined her first band at five, had been endorsed by many major drum companies by the time she was eight, has made live appearances with Cyndi Lauper, Fall Out Boy, and Jack Black and is critically admired by everyone from Ian Paice to Chad Smith and Bootsy Collins. Phew.
Now, it would be easy to put together an album that merely spotlights her drumming prowess. And whilst For Teen does that, it doesn’t do it at the expense of the songs. What we find here are some great rock, pop and jazz and funk creations that just happen to have amazing grooves and rhythms running through them.
“Blue Sky” blends and alternates between alt-rock, West Coast jazz infusions, and sublimely proggy structures. By contrast, “Home Bestie” is an excellent and spacious pop-punk slice that emphasizes pop rather than punk.
There are also lots of special guests. Narada Michael Walden takes the lead vocals on “YOYO,” a slick and sophisticated pop-rocker. Ai Furusato’s piano guides the drums through a contemporary jazzscape, and Ken Okada’s ornate basslines bring the funk to “Double Trouble.”
Such an album would be remarkable at any age, but it is breathtaking as a debut album and a collaboration with some of the best in the business. Above all of the great music and amazing arrangements, the sheer talent and imagination on display, the album screams one thing loudly and confidently: “Watch this space.”
