Yak's world fell apart after the release of their debut Alas Salvation in 2016. Bassist Andy Jones split, leaving guitarist
Oli Burslem as the band's clear leader, yet the group stumbled through sessions with producer
Jay Watson -- best known as a member of
Tame Impala -- winding up with nothing to call finished. Rallying with producer
Marta Salogni, who previously worked on records by
Goldfrapp and
Björk.
Salogni helps
Yak ease into the psychedelic with
Pursuit of Momentary Happiness. Where Alas Salvation teemed with physical pleasures,
Pursuit of Momentary Happiness attempts to float on an astral plain, blending mind expansion with soul baring. Not that
Yak decided to leave heavy guitars behind. Lead single "Fried" offers a big-footed glam stomp, "White Male Carnivore" is so saturated it bleeds, and "Blinded by the Lies" is a garage rocker that would've fit onto the debut. However, all these ravers are surrounded by an excess of color. "Pursuit of Momentary Happiness" sprawls with the deliberation of a lava lamp, beneath the fuzz of "Pay Off vs. the Struggle" there's a danceable pulse, and the epic closer "This House Has No Living Room" floats with the aplomb of
Spiritualized (fitting, since
Jason Pierce makes a cameo appearance). Such a broadening of consciousness blends nicely with
Yak's gut-level execution, resulting in an uncannily absorbing slice of neo-psychedelia. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine