Review: Yawning Man ‘Pavement Ends’

Forgive the idiom, but like the proverbial buses, November brings a double instalment of one of my favourite guitarists. Recently, I had the pleasure of dissecting SoftSun’s sophomore release which was then quickly followed by the seventh album from the godfathers of desert rock Yawning Man in the form of Pavement Ends.

Of course, Yawning Man consists of more than just the incredible talents of California native Gary Arce who helped found the band in La Quinta in the mid ‘80s; there is also the small matter of the instigator of the now legendary generator parties that would spawn another influential act in the form of Kyuss, one Mario ‘Boomer’ Lalli.

With their lineup ever shifting due to commitments, Lalli sat out their previous effort, the dark Long Walk Of The Navajo as he concentrated on Mario Lalli & The Rubber Snake Charmers. He was ably replaced by De-Con/Brant Bjork collaborator Billy Cordell to reunite the lineup that produced their classic Pot Head EP (reissued by Ripple Music in 2023), but now he makes way once more for the returning Boomer.

Filling out the contingent is the ever-reliable Ten East/Big Scenic Nowhere stickman Bill Stinson, who has ably commanded the drum stool for the band since 2011, maintaining his status as the only man to succeed the legendary Alfredo Hernandez.

Immediately striking the tone with the muscular Burrito Power, Pavement Ends somehow feels heavier and darker in tone as the taught crunch of the drums has a gritty edge and Lalli’s bass grumbles underneath. The liquid movements of his fingers make the low-end act as a lead instrument in its own right as the notes dance rhythmically in a manner that is jazz-like and unfettered by convention. In fact, all three members could equally measure up as lead players given their skills; for all the laid-back vibes of Yawning Man, taking each in isolation reveals intricate, constant movement and invention to create their unique, soaring soundscape.

Then there is the lead guitar… Arce’s signature sound has always been one of the most distinctive features of Yawning Man, drawing from his influences and individual playing style that encompasses surf pop, psychedelia and of course stoner rock. The gothic influence of Bauhaus and Southern Death Cult has always leant a melancholic edge to some of the more moody passages of his playing, and here is no exception.

This grittier bite allows the guitar to flex, the loops and delays allowing the bright moments to ring sharply off the reverberating pulse of Lalli and are accented by the snap of Stinson. Or is it the other way round? With Yawning Man it is hard to tell, such is their natural, organic chemistry.

Ascending note patterns appear and float away in a surreal, soft-focused manner…

Gestapo Pop starts with a less aggressive feel, the sombre space rock edge is driven on through the deft drum work. Lalli and Arce entwine their sounds around each other, leaving space for the other to flavour and pull the melodies in a gentle ebb and flow.

With the six-track Pavement Ends clocking in at the same running time as the previous album, which contained only three, each entry here feels more tightly focused, and there is a discipline to the improvised jam-like feel that runs throughout. This allows the peaks and troughs to come fast, despite the deceptively languid pace and when Arce breaks out into a trademark trilling solo, wringing those sparkling, almost alien sounds from his guitar, it feels like a lifting moment of ecstasy.

The band ramps up the atmospherics on Bomba Negra, with the bass in particular picking out the main flow using the slow walk of the grooving notes. Once again, Lalli and Stinson anchor the band, working in perfect unison to create the loose, ambient feel. This allows the guitar to wander, almost disconnected from the body of the track and yet somehow work in perfect harmony. Ascending note patterns appear and float away in a surreal, soft-focused manner that lends Yawning Man those signature dreamy textures, landing with a deep spiritual resonance.

Dust Suppression continues the onward movement with the meandering bass slides and winding guitar. They detour whimsically as if floating on a summer’s breeze and are taken whichever way the elements dictate, while the drums patter in a busy, but complementary fashion. The discipline involved with keeping this kind of composition feeling free-flowing, as if time is standing still, yet all in under five minutes, is a trick that mere mortals can only dream of.

The title track and album closer, Bad Time To Be Alive, are the only entries that stretch toward the ten-minute mark. The former highlights the flexibility of the drums as Stinson balances tumbling fills and the echoing splash of the cymbals with the powerful crash of the snare. Here, the psychedelic, dancing lead comes as close to following fixed patterns as Yawning Man get. As the piece progresses, the euphoric sense builds with the high notes climbing ever upward as if straining to reach the desert sky.

The latter rounds out the album with a more introspective feel, almost as if reflecting the title itself and coming as close as the band gets to real-world commentary. However, this slightly downbeat air doesn’t last and the listener is treated to another masterclass of moments of bright bubble-gum rock and indie-like passages of lightness that break through the murkier edges like the sun through the clouds. However, this slightly downbeat air doesn’t last as the listener is treated to another masterclass, with moments of bright bubble-gum rock and indie-like passages of lightness breaking through the murkier edges like the sun through the clouds

Whilst I can marvel at the individual skills of the band and their techniques all day, instead, I will tell you that the true beauty in Yawning Man lies with how it makes you feel. Pavement Ends is another incredible piece of music that seeks to tune into the vibrations of the universe and form that soulful bridge that can so easily dissipate in this all too chaotic world.

Label: Heavy Psych Sounds
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram

Scribed by: Mark Hunt-Bryden