Yacht: See Mystery Lights

Label: DFA

Be right with you, I’m having a low-grade psychedelic experience with the cover of Yacht’s new See Mystery Lights. Wow, it’s — I see them, the mystery lights! Once you stop your day-tripping you’ll notice the sticker on the front that says “Music for a New Spirit”; you may also have heard Yacht claim to be “a band belief system.” This is all a bit overblown, but only a bit, because as indie-dance sounds go, Yacht’s Jona Bechtolt (joined now by the very excellent Claire L. Evans) do seem to have the inside lane on freshness. Bechtolt’s a master arranger; his tracks may identify as techno or tech-house all while neatly wrapping straight-up pop vocals and guitar riffs around some chest-rattling momentum changes. “The Afterlife” is one of the best, catchiest tracks of the year; you’ll also see the lights with the tropical-vibed “Ring the Bell” and the somewhat flabbergasting workout of “It’s Boring/You Can Live Anywhere You Want.” (M.L. Thrope)