Music Row: Lohse’s vision delivers album

By Brian Rademaekers

It might have seemed like a long time coming, but after more than a year of effort, local musicians Yellow Humphrey finally have an album to call their own.

This is especially notable for Yellow Humphrey architect Gretchen Lohse. From playing instrumentals in other bands to writing her own songs, summoning the courage to sing at open mics and assembling a skilled and cohesive band of musicians to join her, Lohse has worked hard for the accomplishment.

To be sure, a lot of friends and fellow musicians helped make Featherweights — a 10-song album that was self-released April 26 — possible. But as the writer of each song and the source of the album's trademark vocals, Lohse's heart is all over this.

Hers is a familiar name and face on the local music scene. She's part of Paper Masques, playing electric viola, and has played on albums by Adam Arcuragi, BC Camplight, National Eye and Ex Reverie.

Yellow Humphrey got rolling about a year and a half ago when Lohse brought fellow Philly musicians and Paper Masques collaborators Rick Flom and Steve Quaranta to the new project.

Since then, the unit has expanded to a solid sextet, including regulars Alec Meltzer, Dave Barbaree and Naeemah Maddox.

On Featherweights, though, some 15 musicians show up at various points, a populace that adds considerable depth and lushness to the tracks. Notable appearances include Dave Hartley, of Secretly Canadian's The War on Drugs and Nightlands, and Jonas Osterele, drummer for now-defunct The Teeth.

Besides her vocals, Lohse contributes to the mix with acoustic guitar, violin and viola.

The opening guitar chords on the lead-in title track, Featherweights, rip with an edgy burn that recalls the classic "acid guitar" leads of Philly's Espers, followed by an airy flute, gentle strings and the lilting, warm voice of Lohse.

But where the Espers' albums have largely followed a clear arc that doesn't depart too far from those elements, the Yellow Humphreys debut takes all sorts of interesting routes across its 10 tracks.

Even Featherweights takes an unexpected turn, tumbling into a cool breakdown toward the end that wouldn't seem too out of place on Joni Mitchell's Court and Spark.

With its soft brassy horns crooning in the background, jaunty guitar and wavering organ, Low Roses showcases Lohse's vocals in a way that makes the song feel in line with Feist, Zooey Deschanel and all of their present-day peers who specialize in powerful, beautiful singing.

On the vulnerable Axes and Arrows, Lohse reaches high, swinging back down for a confessional tone that leads into a forest of vibrating strings. As happens in instances throughout, the song flirts with a folk side but never embraces it to the point that one would label much of anything on Featherweights as "folk music." Instead, they keep a little distance and, in doing so, make something much more akin to a rock album, and an intriguing one at that.

The lazy, smooth pace of Cherry Tree is probably as close to folky as it gets, with a banjo joining in on the acoustic guitar as a gentle hum swirls in the background, eventually rising to something more busy even as the lyrics hold it together and paint a riveting picture.

The longest track of the record, City Lights, runs just over seven minutes and eases in with poetic imagery and a placid backdrop of acoustic guitar and softly splashed drums. Things pick up a bit with a stoic, weeping electric guitar interlude, but the foundations of a love song are unshakable, and it keeps you listening through the slow, gorgeous burner.

Through and through, it's a fascinating listen where the pop hooks are neatly meshed with cool instrumentation, solid songwriting and ensnaring vocals. Seeing how they bring those qualities to life on Friday should make for a good show, and the future looks bright if Yellow Humphrey can sustain this creative burst.

Joining them for the show is Eliza Hardy-Jones, co-lead singer for the acclaimed Buried Beds, who will do an uncommon solo set that will feature her knack for offbeat instrumentation.

Also look for Nick Krill of the Spinto Band — here as "Young Nick Krill" — who will do a set with "Magic" Mike Quinn from Okay Paddy, the Sw!ms, and And The Moneynotes.

Who: Yellow Humphrey, Young Nick Krill

What: Record release for YH's debut album

Where: Johnny Brenda's, Frankford and Girard

When: Friday, April 29, at 8 p.m.